


Strange Fates

by invisame



Category: The Originals (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Multi, Multiple Partners, Polyamory, Romantic Soulmates, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2020-01-01
Packaged: 2021-01-21 03:43:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 28,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21293075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/invisame/pseuds/invisame
Summary: You've been an outcast for most of your life. Belittled and tormented by those that should have loved you the most. When you lose the only person you had left, you flee to New Orleans for a new start. It is there you find what you were least expecting.The Mikaelson brothers have waited a thousand years for their soulmates. When they discover the same woman is tied to all three of them, they are stunned. What begins as a contest becomes a conquest for your heart. Can they learn to share you or will they lose you forever?
Relationships: Elijah Mikaelson/You, Klaus Mikaelson/You, Kol Mikaelson/You, The Originals (Vampire Diaries)/You
Comments: 48
Kudos: 365





	1. Welcome to New Orleans

New Orleans. You’d fallen in love with the city the first time you’d visited when you were twelve years old. Over the years you and your grandfather had made the trip many times. It seemed as if he knew every bit of history that lived in that city. He had you looking at it with new eyes every time you visited.

This time, however, you were making New Orleans your home. Your ailing grandfather had finally passed away about six months ago. He’d left you everything in an ironclad will. The rest of your family was furious. But they hadn’t been the ones taking care of him as the cancer ate away at him. They barely even came to visit, let alone do anything actually useful. You had acted as his primary caregiver until the very end.

You’d never fit in with the rest of your family. You were your father’s daughter. The byproduct of an affair had in the year before he married the woman you spent your childhood believing was your mother. Your father died when you were twelve and she had wasted no time informing you that you weren’t her problem. And your sister had been quick to help push you out the door.

Your grandfather had been there to pick up the pieces and made sure you knew that there was at least one member of your family that loved you unconditionally. Your sister Emily was his granddaughter as well, but he barely tolerated her. He always said she was too much like her mother. And you guess she’d proved that when he got sick. They certainly showed up when it was time to read the will though. Assholes.

You sighed and gripped the steering wheel a little harder. Reaching over, you turned up your music and let yourself get lost in the rhythm. This move was about making a new start and you didn’t need to worry about them anymore. Your grandfather had made sure of that. You’d sold his house, packed up his stuff and transferred all the funds. You would never have to step foot in that stupid little town again if you didn’t want to.

It wasn’t long before you were pulling up in front of the little house you’d purchased. It needed some work, but you were already in love with it. And you’d never been afraid of a little bit of hard work. Four men got out of a car down the street when you pulled up. You recognized one of them as the mover you’d hired a few weeks ago to help unload the truck. It was good to be home.

***

You spent the majority of the day directing the movers in the placement of furniture and boxes. When that was finished, you made a trip to the hardware store and picked up some of the supplies you needed. There was no point in unpacking a room just to have to move everything to do the work. By the time you’d done all that and made sure your bed was set up, you were exhausted. You’d grabbed some dinner while you were out, but now you wanted nothing more than an ice cold beer. Surely, you’d earned one by this point.

Remembering passing by a bar within walking distance earlier, you decided that would work just as well as anywhere else. You changed your shirt and fixed your hair before grabbing your keys and walking the few blocks to Rousseau’s. The bar was relatively quiet when you arrived, but it was the middle of the week. You took a seat at the bar and a happy blonde came over to take your order. “What can I get for you?”

“Give me a beer, something dark and in a bottle.”

“You got it.” She popped the top off and sat the beer in front of you.

You took a long swallow and closed your eyes as the cool liquid ran down your throat. Yeah, you needed that. “Thanks.” You slipped her a twenty. “For another one of these in a bit. The rest is yours.”

She grinned. “Thanks. I don’t think I’ve seen you in here before. What brings you in?”

“You’ll be seeing a lot more of me. I just moved in not far from here.”

“Well, that’s convenient.”

You nodded. “Yeah. I always look for a bar within walking distance when I buy a home.”

She laughed and held out a hand. “Camille, but you can call me Cami.”

“Nice to meet you, Cami. I’m Y/N.” As you shook her hand, you caught sight of the small triangle marking on her wrist. Everyone was born with three dots somewhere on their wrists or hands. When they met their soulmate, the dots connected to form a triangle.

She noticed your gaze and smiled as she pulled her hand back. She turned her wrist so you could get a better view. “It’s new. We just met a month or so ago, but I think I already love him. Is that crazy?”

You shook your head. “Isn’t that the whole point of a soulmate? They’re your perfect match. I would think it would be weirder if you didn’t feel that way.”

Cami grinned again. “I like you. So, what about you? Have you found yours yet?” She held up a hand to stop you before you could answer. “Hold that thought. Let me get these guys a refill,” she said with a gesture down the bar.

You nodded and finished off your first beer. You hated the soulmate discussion, but it was inevitable. If you were going to spend time in this bar, you were going to run into Cami again so you might as well get it out of the way now. When she came back, she switched out your bottle for a full one.

“You don’t have to answer that question, you know? My friend Haley keeps telling me that just because I found my soulmate doesn’t mean everyone else wants to talk about it. Of course, she found Jackson years ago so the thrill has worn off a bit I guess.” She shrugged.

“It’s okay.” You turned your arm so she could see the five perfectly spaced dots on your arm. If the dots connected as they normally did, that would be three triangles. That mark wasn’t the only thing odd about you, but it was the only one you typically shared.

Cami grasped your arm and turned it so she could get a better look. “What does it mean?”

You shrugged. “No one knows. I’ve heard of people getting another set of marks after a soulmate dies or something, but nothing like this. And trust me I’ve looked.” Your grandfather told you there was a time when such a thing was common amongst your people, but that wasn’t a conversation for a stranger. “My sister says it’s because my mate will reject me so I need backups.”

Cami blinked. “Well, she’s a bitch.”

That pulled a surprise laugh from you. “That she is. You’d think if this meant I’d have three different soulmates over my life that I would have met one of them by now. Maybe it’s just not meant to be.”

“Don’t say that. Your luck is changing, I can feel it.”

You arched your brows. “Can you feel someone coming to help me paint? Because that would be awesome.”

Instead of answering, Cami looked past you as the door opened. A huge smile covered her face. “Hey, you.”

“Hello, gorgeous,” a man said as he leaned over the bar just down from you. Your eyes ran between them as they kissed. He was just as gorgeous as she was. They looked good together.

When they finished greeting each other, Cami turned to you. “Marcel, this is my new friend Y/N.”

The man held out his hand. “Hello, new friend Y/N. As you just heard I’m Marcel.”

You gave a crooked grin. “It’s nice to meet you. I sincerely hope you are the new soulmate or this is going to get awkward.”

He laughed flashing white teeth against dark skin. “That would be me, so no worries.”

“Y/N here was just mentioning needing some help doing some painting. Think you could help her with that?”

Surely, she wasn’t suggesting he help you paint. You’d just met them. Your frown faded as Cami passed him a pen and paper. He scrolled through his phone for a minute before writing something down and sliding the pad in your direction. “Jackson Kenner. He and his wife own a little rehab company. Do a lot of remodeling, construction, that kind of thing. He’ll take care of you.”

You tore off the sheet with the number. After folding it in half, you stuck it in your pocket. “You are a lifesaver, and you two are now my favorite people in New Orleans so far.”

“And how many people have you met exactly?” Marcel asked.

“You guys and the movers.” You finished your beer while they laughed. You grabbed a pen and jotted down your number before you thought better of it. You handed back to Cami. “Just in case you decide you need it for something. I’ll see you around.”

You waved at them before you walked out the door and into the crisp night air. Taking a deep breath, you smiled as you shoved your hands in your pockets. Not bad for your first day in New Orleans. You couldn’t wait to see what tomorrow would bring.


	2. Hello There

You didn’t get a chance to call anyone the next morning before you received a text from Cami telling you Marcel had already talked to Jackson. He and his wife would be stopping by around 10 to talk to you. If that wouldn’t work, all you had to do was call. You blinked at the message for a moment before texting back a quick thank you. You weren’t used to people doing things for you. Especially without wanting something in return. Cami was good people.

You glanced at the time and poured yourself a mug of coffee. You carried it into the bedroom with you so you could get dressed before your visitors arrived. You didn’t put much thought into your clothing other than making sure it was something you wouldn’t mind getting dirty. Once the contractors left, you had work of your own to do. After dressing in the first pair of jeans and t-shirt you found, you wandered back out to the kitchen. You’d just refreshed your coffee when there was a knock at the door.

You opened it to find a couple on your doorstep that had to be Jackson and Haley. They both had dark hair and eyes. He was slightly taller than her and had a light beard. They made a lovely couple, that was for sure. “Jackson and Haley Kenner. We own Crescent Moon Contracting.”

You shook both of their hands before stepping back to let them in. “It’s nice to meet you. Come on in.”

They exchanged a look before stepping into the house. “Thank you. Just so you know, you should be careful who you invite into your house around here,” Haley warned.

“Haley,” Jackson chastised before looking at you. “Sorry.”

You pursed your lips. “No, it’s fine. Always good advice no matter where you live. You never know what you might be inviting in. I have my own way of keeping out unwanted guests though.”

You could see the questions burning in their gazes and sipped at your coffee to hide your smirk. Suddenly, you remembered your manners. “I’m sorry. Would either of you like something to drink?”

“No, we’re good. Marcel said you needed some help with some painting?” Jackson prompted.

“We normally don’t do small jobs, but Marcel and Cami said you could really use the help.” Irritation threaded through the woman’s voice.

“Haley,” Jackson all but growled. She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest as he turned his attention back to you. He shook his head slightly. “Sorry.”

You didn’t even try to hide your smile this time. Their interaction was amusing and it was evident to see they cared for each other. “It’s fine and while I do have some painting to do, that’s just a small part of what I need done both here and at my shop.”

He tilted his head. “Shop?”

“I bought a building not far from here to turn into a bookstore. I’m planning something a little different. Even for New Orleans.” Your grandfather had owned his store for nearly forty years. When he died, it all went to you but you had no desire to stay in that town. So, you closed it up. You packed each book yourself and were amazed at some of the things you’d found buried in his stacks. You’d also obtained a couple of estate collections you hadn’t even had time to catalog yet. You couldn’t wait to get everything the way you wanted it and start setting up the store.

“Great. Let’s get started,” Jackson said as he pulled out a notebook and pencil.

You nodded and began to lead them through the house. It didn’t take you long to point out what needed to be painted and what light fixtures and shelves needed to be installed along with some more extensive work in the kitchen and bathrooms. They hadn’t been updated in decades.

“If you don’t mind me saying, you seem incredibly well-versed in what needs to be done to get the result you’re after,” he said as you finished in the kitchen.

You huffed a laugh. “My grandfather always was a handyman. He taught me everything he knew. I could do most of the work myself but it would take forever and I’m impatient. Plus, the store is a whole separate project and the mere thought of trying to do both at the same time had me pulling my hair out.”

“Honestly, you’ll probably feel that way even with someone else doing the work. Renovations are stressful either way,” Haley said. She had relaxed considerably as you went through the house. Now, she was smiling. You wondered if all strangers made her uncomfortable at first, or if it was just you. Or perhaps all the dollar signs she saw as you added to the list had loosened her up.

“Oh, trust me. I know. Should we go see the shop?” you asked.

“Sounds good,” Jackson said. They waited for you to grab the keys and lock up the house. “Do we need to take the truck?”

You shook your head. “It’s only a few blocks away. We might as well walk.”

They fell into step behind you and let you lead the way.

When you’d gotten about a block from the house, Haley cleared her throat. “If you don’t mind me asking, how exactly do you know Marcel and Cami? I haven’t heard them mention you before.”

You couldn’t keep the grin from your face. “That would probably be because I just met them last night. Cami and I bonded.”

Haley snorted. “Bonded. That sounds like Cami, all right.”

In a few minutes you were in front of the building that would be your store. The windows were soaped up so no one could see inside. You unlocked everything and motioned for them to go in before you.

“I know this building. It used to be a voodoo shop,” Haley said. Your brows shot up in surprise. When she saw the look on your face, she waved her hand through the air. “Not a real one, of course. Just a tourist thing. They had some pretty jewelry.”

She’d be surprised to find out just how much of what the former tenants did was real magic, you thought. You had to do a pretty thorough cleansing when you bought the place.

“Wow,” Jackson breathed.

You turned to find him running his hand along one of the large oak shelves you’d brought with you. “My grandfather built those. I couldn’t bear to leave them behind. As you can see, they need some repair and rejuvenation. I’d like to use them as a starting point for the rest of the space.”

He looked around the space and nodded as if picturing it in his head. “How many shelves are you going to want total?”

“Oh, here,” you said and walked over to the counter to grab a piece of paper. It was a complete layout of how you wanted the main room to look including measurements and counter space. You handed it over to him and he whistled through his teeth.

“You are making my job easy, Y/N. I wish all our clients were as sure about what they wanted as you are.”

“That just means you can work faster, right?” You laughed.

“Actually, it does,” Haley agreed.

You pointed to the paper. “On the back is what I need done in the back room and upstairs as well. It’s not nearly as extensive.”

Jackson flipped the paper over, his eyes scanning over your work. “Is that a stove?” he asked.

You nodded. “With a double oven. I wrote the make and model number down for you on the side there.”

“This is great,” Haley said, peering at the paper from beside him. “Give us a couple of days and we’ll write up an estimate and get it to you.”

“When do you think you’d be able to start?” You bit your lip as you awaited the response. It was unlikely they had an opening right now but you could hope.

The two of them exchanged a look. “Let me make a couple of calls, and I’ll let you know. We can move some things around maybe and we have some extra crew we could call in.”

“That would be great.” And it would, but you’d try not to get your hopes up.

The three of you stepped outside and they moved across the street to look over the front of the building while you locked up. It was in desperate need of a paintjob as well.

When you turned, you found another man stood with them. The three of them were talking, occasionally glancing toward your building. Your mouth instantly went dry as you ran your gaze over the new arrival. Holy shit. He was stunning. You couldn’t think of another word really. He was dressed in a well-tailored suit. Every strand of his dark hair was neatly in place and he held himself with a confidence you rarely saw. He had his hands in his pockets and rocked on his feet as he laughed at something Jackson said.

Realizing you were staring, you turned your attention to your contractors as you walked across to join them. Jackson’s attention was on the other man but Haley was smirking while shooting glances between you and the stranger. Evidently, you’d been caught ogling her friend. Great.

She smacked her husband’s arm with the back of her hand. “Jackson, introduce Elijah to our new client.”

Your face heated and you hoped no one noticed your embarrassment. “Thanks, Haley,” you said with a tight smile. You were almost positive you heard her giggle.

The man’s lips twisted into a half-grin as he offered his hand. “Yes, I’m sorry to have distracted them from your meeting. I had been meaning to call and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to talk to them. I am Elijah Mikaelson. And who might you be?”

“Y/N Y/L/N.” You took his offered hand and gasped as heat flared under the skin on your wrist. Your gaze darted to your joined hands. The three dots of his soulmate mark were visible where they rested near his thumb. The lines to finish it appeared literally in front of your eyes.

Your gaze darted back to his face to find his attention locked on your hands as well. When he looked up, he grinned. “Well, hello there.”


	3. What Now?

The four of you walked back to the house together. Haley and Jackson had taken the lead while you had fallen back to walk beside your soulmate. Elijah kept his hands behind his back and would occasionally smile in your direction. Haley kept smirking over her shoulder and between the two of them you were feeling more than a little self-conscious.

Once you arrived back at your house, the Kenners left after promising again to get you the estimates in a day or two. And after one last smirk from Haley of course. Suddenly alone with the stranger that fate said was yours, you felt more awkward than you’d thought possible. Perhaps he was just as uncertain as you as he wasn’t speaking either. You sucked in a breath and grasped onto every thread of courage you possessed.

You licked your lips. “Would you like to come in for some coffee?” you offered.

He smiled. “I would love to be invited into your home, Y/N.”

You nodded and led the way to the door. After unlocking it, you stepped inside and left it open behind you. “You can come in,” you offered without looking back. You preferred some distance between the two of you in case your protections on the house kicked in. When he entered unscathed, some of the tension flowed from you. At least you could be sure that he meant you no harm.

You didn’t say a word or even look at him while you prepared coffee for the both of you. Only when you sat the mug in front of him did you meet his gaze. “Cream or sugar?”

He shook his head. How had you known he was the black coffee type? “We should discuss where we go from here,” he said after taking a sip from his mug and giving a nod of approval.

Your attention shifted to your fingers where they traced the rim of your mug. “To be honest I was beginning to wonder if this was even in the cards for me. My life hasn’t exactly been normal.”

Elijah chuckled and you looked up in surprise. “I assure you that however long you have been awaiting me, my wait was infinitely longer. I have been waiting a very long time for you, Y/N.”

“Why do I feel like I should apologize? I have a feeling I’m not what you were expecting.” He had no idea what he was getting himself into with you.

“On the contrary, I think you will be so much more than I even hoped for.”

His words had heat rushing through you. You couldn’t remember someone ever saying something similar to you before. Over and over you were told you weren’t enough. That you didn’t measure up. And here was this gorgeous specimen sitting at your table, drinking your coffee and telling you that you were more. Damn, if you hadn’t already been attracted to him, that would have done it for sure.

“Thank you,” you managed to get out though the words were quiet.

He made a sound of agreement as he reached over and covered one of your hands with his. Your eyes were once again drawn to his now complete soulmark. “May I see?” he asked.

You frowned, not sure what he was asking.

The corner of his mouth kicked up in a smirk. “Your mark. I have wished to see my mark on another’s skin for many years.”

You bit your lip as you fought the desire to refuse him. After all, it was a simple request, but as with everything else in your life, nothing could be simple with you. You turned your arm so the completed mark was clearly visible along with the extra dots. You kept your gaze on him, waiting for his reaction.

His eyes softened and his tongue traced his bottom lip. He traced the mark with his fingers, back and forth. A soft smile crossed his face and you couldn’t help smiling in response. After a bit, he looked up, still smiling. “What does it mean? The extra dots?”

You shrugged, feeling embarrassed though you weren’t certain why. It wasn’t your doing. “I have no idea. No one has been able to tell me with any certainty though there have been many guesses.”

“Such as?”

“Some think it means my mate will die, others that I will have multiple mates, and still others that think my soulmate will reject me so I am in need of backups.”

Elijah huffed. “Not bloody likely. I have waited a millennia for you. I don’t intend to let you go now.”

Relief flooded through you even as you tilted your head to study him. He seemed so sincere, you weren’t certain if he was exaggerating the timeframe or not. Your instincts were screaming not and they tended to be accurate. Well, this soulmate thing could prove to be far more interesting than you thought it would be. “So, what now, Mr. Mikaelson?”

“I would like to take you on a date. This evening if you’re available.” He leaned back in his chair, removing his touch from your arm as he did so. You couldn’t help feeling a tad disappointed at the loss of contact.

“I would like that.”

He nodded and stood swiftly. “Six o’clock then. I will pick you up here.”

“Of course.” Almost as soon as you had finished speaking, he was up and out the door. You blinked after him for a moment then pulled out your phone to text Cami. _Busy?_

***

It didn’t take you long to find the shopping center where Cami agreed to meet you for lunch and shopping. Even still, she was already seated at a table when you arrived. The two of you made small talk until you ordered your food. Once the waiter left, she turned to you and clasped her hands together on the table. “Okay, you literally just got to town. How do you have a date already?”

You cleared your throat. “I, um, I kind of met my soulmate.”

Her brows shot up as she bounced a bit in her seat. “What? That’s amazing. How did you meet him? Where? Who is it?”

Unable to help yourself, you chuckled at her enthusiasm. “He stopped to talk to Jackson and Haley this morning and the rest, as they say, is history.”

“Okay,” she drew out the word. “What’s his name?”

You shook your head, not certain if you wanted to tell anyone yet. Or if he wanted you to. “His name is Elijah.” Surely the first name wouldn’t hurt. What could she get out of that? There had to be dozens of them in the city.

Cami suddenly went very still. “Mikaelson?”

Or maybe she’d know exactly who were you were talking about the moment you said the name. “Yes, actually.”

“Your soulmate is Elijah Mikaelson? _The_ Elijah Mikaelson?”

“You’re starting to worry me here. Is there something I should know?”

She shook her head. “No. Nothing like that. I’m just surprised is all. The Mikaelsons…well, I should let you form your own opinion. But Elijah, he’s the best of them all. You could have done much worse in that family, trust me.”

Her words played through your head as the two of you ate then did your shopping. What exactly were you getting yourself into here?

***

By the time you finished spending the day with Cami you didn’t have nearly the time you wanted to get ready for your date. At least you didn’t have to decide what to wear as that was the whole point of your afternoon with your new friend. It was just before six when there was a knock on the door. You finished swiping on your lipstick, smoothed your hands down your dress and took a deep breath.

You opened the door with a smile on your face. Elijah had his back turned as he looked out over the street. He turned when he heard the door. His smile morphed into something more genuine as his gaze ran over you from head to foot. “You look amazing.”

Your face heated and you dropped your gaze before meeting his eye again. “Thank you. So do you.” And he did. He was wearing a perfectly tailored three piece gray suit with a burgandy tie and looked even more stunning than he had earlier. You weren’t certain what you had done for the fates to decide that this was the man for you but you were super grateful for whatever it was.

Amusement flashed through his eyes and you wondered if your thoughts were that evident. Or maybe you were drooling. You wiped a thumb along your lip on the pretense of checking your lipstick. No drool. Thank God. You didn’t miss the way Elijah’s gaze followed the movement. He cleared his throat and offered you an arm. “Shall we?”


	4. Night time in New Orleans

The two of you laughed and talked through dinner. The food was exceptional though you had expected nothing less in New Orleans. Several times you caught Elijah just watching you. Every time you mentioned it he’d simply shake his head and return to eating or talking. His soft smile remained on his face through the entire meal.

Topics remained on hobbies and interests or the occasional tale plucked from your life. Neither of you steered the conversation toward deeper topics for which you were relieved. There was time enough for that later. Right now, you preferred to enjoy the company of your soulmate without everything else getting in the way. You couldn’t shake the feeling that both of you were dancing around things that needed to be discussed sooner rather than later.

Despite that, the meal ended far too quickly for your liking. As you stepped outside, Elijah took your hand in his and ran his thumb across your skin. “Would you care to go for a walk?”

You smiled. Apparently, he wasn’t ready for the night to end either. “I would love that.”

He kept hold of your hand and turned you in the opposite direction from your home. The two of you continued to carry on idle conversation interspersed with long periods of silence where you just enjoyed each other’s company as you strolled. “Provided there are no festivals going on, this really is the best way to see the city.”

You glanced over with raised brows not 100% sure what he meant.

His smile widened. “New Orleans is at her best on a peaceful night. And the company helps.”

You huffed a laugh. “Every single person that I told I was moving here advised me not to walk around New Orleans at night. Especially the Quarter. And here you are saying it’s the only way to see the city.”

“Nothing will bother you as long as you’re with me. It wouldn’t dare.” While his tone was playful the serious undertone didn’t escape your notice. Neither did the fact he said ‘nothing’ instead of ‘no one’.

You pressed against his side and he released your hand to place his arm around your shoulder. He held you more firmly against him. “How long have you lived in New Orleans, Elijah?”

He hummed. “Seems like centuries sometimes. We lived here some time ago and have only recently returned. While somethings have changed, at her heart New Orleans remains the same.”

“That’s the second time you’ve called this city a her.”

“Indeed. Perhaps it’s the sensuality of the city that makes me see it that way. I always have.”

The silence stretched until you spoke. “Well, that conversation took a turn I wasn’t expecting.”

Elijah laughed and rubbed his hand along your upper arm as he pulled you to a stop. It was only then you realized you were stood in front of your house. He dropped his arm and you turned to face him. “I had a wonderful time. Thank you.”

“As did I, sweet Y/N. As predicted, you were so much more than I expected.”

Your smile widened with his compliment. This man would be good for your self-confidence, that was for certain. “Would you like to come in for a drink?”

His smile went crooked as one side kicked up higher than the other. He reached out and tucked a piece of hair behind your ear. “I would like nothing better. However, I believe I should decline.”

He cupped your cheek and you leaned into his touch, completely unable to keep the disappointment from your face.

“Our time will come soon enough,” he assured you before leaning forward and pressing a soft, swift kiss to your lips. He only pulled back a bit to look you over before kissing you again. This time it was full of passion and want and something sweeter. As the two of you fed at each other’s lips you never wanted it to end.

Unfortunately, Elijah had far more control than you were capable of and pulled himself away after several minutes. His kisses left you dizzy and you could do little more than stare at him for a moment. “What are your plans for tomorrow?” he asked.

You blinked, bringing yourself back to the present and cleared your throat. “Unpacking. Here. I can’t do anything at the shop until the shelves get finished.”

“Hmm, yes. Jackson intends to begin work there in the morning.”

He did? You pulled out your phone to see if you’d missed any messages but there was nothing. You frowned at your soulmate.

He put one hand in his pocket and ran the fingers of the other across his lips. “I meant to tell you over dinner that I had spoken with them earlier.”

“But I haven’t approved a budget or anything. They weren’t even certain they’d be able to get the people they needed for the work when we spoke earlier.” You were so confused.

He cleared his throat. “I, um, might have been a bit presumptuous. They were scheduled to begin some work for me tomorrow. Nothing important, just some updating. It was what I stopped to talk to them about this morning in fact. They called to ask about delaying my project to work on yours.”

“Well, you didn’t have to say yes,” you protested. You felt bad that his things weren’t getting done so yours could be done sooner.

“On the contrary, I’m afraid I insisted. I also authorized them to use my deposit for the work you needed done, as well. Any work they do that exceeds your budget I will take care of. It has already been arranged.” He said it all matter-of-factly, as if it wasn’t a big deal, but the worry in his gaze told you otherwise. He seemed prepared for a tirade.

You were astonished, annoyed maybe, but you weren’t mad. He might be crazy, though. “Why would you do that, Elijah? We literally just met.”

“Forgive me if I have overstepped, Y/N, but you can’t tell me you don’t feel this.” He stepped closer to you, eliminating the space that had grown between you since your kiss. “From the moment I saw you this morning, I was enthralled. Even before I knew you were my soulmate. We may be tempering ourselves to appease our logical sides but we both know that if left solely to our emotions, we’d already be much further along.”

And what did you say to that? He was right. You felt as if you’d known him for months, not hours. “I can’t argue with you, but I still can’t believe you did that.”

His hand settled on your waist as he grinned at you. “I have more money than I know what to do with. Let me use some of it to see my girlfriend settled faster.”

“Okay, Elijah. You win.” You placed your palms on his chest and gave him a quick kiss. “Now what about you. What are you doing tomorrow?”

He tilted his head. “Helping my girlfriend unpack, of course.”

***

That was a week ago now. Every morning Elijah had arrived at the house, coffee in hand. The two of you had the house as unpacked and settled as you could get it considering the work that still needed to be done. In the midst of your work, he’d take you to get lunch or dinner or both. Occasionally you’d swing by the shop to check on the progress. At the rate they were working, they’d be done in another week or so.

You didn’t even want to think about how much money Elijah was throwing their way to get them to work so quickly. There were so many workmen there every time you went by you didn’t even know where to stand. You’d never seen a project go so quickly.

He still hadn’t taken you up on any of your offers to spend the night. And you had yet to see his home. Apparently, he lived with his siblings and in his words, “wanted to spare you that for the time being”. You had simply rolled your eyes at that. If they were anything at all like him, they couldn’t be that bad. On the other hand, your sister was a raging bitch, so anything was possible.

All the times you had imagined meeting your soulmate, it was never like this. Elijah was perfect. Okay, maybe not perfect, but he was perfect for you. He was still keeping something from you, but you weren’t one to throw stones. At this point he could tell you he was a serial killer and you’d find a way to justify it. It was a little scary if you thought about it so you tried not to.

Currently, you were sat at the bar in Rousseau’s waiting for Cami to get off. The two of you were going out for dinner. She had insisted on a girls’ night and Elijah needed to take care of some unspecified business. Besides, you couldn’t spend all your time with him. Could you?

You glanced at the clock and frowned as you sipped your drink. Cami was supposed to be off two hours ago. The person that was supposed to be relieving her had car trouble or something, but they really should have been here by now. Cami swept by, replacing your glass with a full one on her way to help someone else. Her annoyance was clear and it didn’t help matters that the bar seemed to be exceptionally busy.

When she had a moment to breathe, she came back to talk to you. “I am so sorry, Y/N. Lori isn’t coming in at all now and no one else can come in until midnight.”

You frowned. “That’s fine, Cami, but are you going to be all right working that long?”

“I do it all the time,” she said, dismissing your concern.

“Do you want me to bring you some dinner?” She already told you she had skipped lunch in anticipation of the two of you indulging tonight.

“No, I’ll call Marcel. Then I have an excuse to see him.” She grinned.

You smiled back. Once Marcel brought her dinner, he’d stay there until she got off to make sure she was safe. That made you feel a little better about leaving her. You’d stick around, but you were starving. “Okay. I’m going to head out. We’ll have to reschedule.”

She looked past you to the window with a frown. “Do you want to call Elijah or something? It’s dark. Or you could wait for Marcel. He’ll walk you home.”

You shook your head as you stood. “I’m not as defenseless as I look. Promise.” You shoved a bill into the tip jar and gave a little wave as you turned to leave. Cami’s worried gaze felt heavy on your shoulders until you disappeared through the door.


	5. Hello, Love

You strolled toward your house, hands tucked into the pockets of your light jacket. It was a beautiful night and you wanted nothing more than to walk around forever. You gave a brief thought to calling Elijah but shook it off. You didn’t have to spend all your time with him. It would be nice but you didn’t have to, damn it.   
Your house came into view just down the street and you sighed, not really wanting to go home. Maybe you’d pour yourself a drink and sit on the porch while you enjoyed it. As you did a mental inventory of the liquor in your kitchen, you were pulled against a firm chest. A hand covered your mouth to stifle any screams. You thought about biting him, but you didn’t know where that hand had been. 

  
Besides, you had other ways to take care of the asshole. Though you preferred for him to not be touching you at the time. As if hearing your thoughts, he spun you and pushed you against a wall. He hissed, flashing fangs and black veins beneath his eyes. Great, a vampire. You quickly adjusted your plan to take into account your attacker was not human. In the seconds it took you to do that, the vampire was jerked away from you.

Your eyes widened as your rescuer sank his teeth into the other vampire. He only drank a moment before his hand disappeared into the others chest only to emerge with his heart in hand. When he turned to face you, you were stunned by his glowing yellow eyes. Not a vampire then, at least not completely. This must be the hybrid your grandfather told you of. 

“Hello, love.” The hybrid tilted his head from side to side looking you over before sauntering in your direction. There really was no other word for it.

You should be terrified right now. Or at the very least have a modicum of respectful fear for the creature in front of you. But you were just curious. Mostly about why he would bother to save someone he didn’t know. When he stopped, he was less than a foot away. Your heart raced but it wasn’t with fear. What was this?   
You licked your lips and he mirrored the gesture before smiling. You’d already been attracted to the man, but when he smiled, he was stunning. Damn. 

“Aren’t you a pretty thing?” He placed his hands on either side of your head, boxing you in. “It seems a shame to make you forget this meeting, love, but as soon as the shock wears off, you’ll be screaming and we can’t have that.”

He leaned closer, making sure that you were looking straight into his eyes. “So, pretty, you will forget everything about this little encounter. You will leave and continue walking as if nothing happened. It was just another night in New Orleans.”

When he leaned back, you blinked but continued to watch him. Finally, you spoke up. “I’m not in shock.” His brows shot up at your revelation you hadn’t been compelled. You gestured toward his mouth. “And you have a bit of blood…” you trailed off and reached up to just take care of it yourself. 

Your thumb brushed the edge of his mouth and the burn of another soulmark completing sizzled under your skin. Your brow lifted as you pulled your hand away. The man in front of you grabbed your wrist to stop your movement. His hold was firm but gentle.

“My, my,” he teased as his smile deepened. He turned his head slightly though his gaze remained locked on yours. His tongue snaked out to lick the blood from your thumb. Heat flooded through you and it suddenly became harder to breathe. “Wasn’t this a fortuitous outing? First, I get to save the damsel and then I discover she’s mine. Most fortuitous indeed.”

“I could have saved myself,” you argued, though you didn’t know why you bothered. And did it really even matter? 

He chuckled and the low sound rolled through you. “I’m sure you could have, sweetheart. What is your name?”

You cleared your throat. “Y/N Y/L/N.”

“Well, Y/N Y/L/N, you may call me Niklaus.”

“Niklaus.” You weren’t certain why you repeated it other than you wanted to feel it on your lips. It felt good, like it belonged. You were in so much trouble.  
He pressed a soft kiss to your wrist before releasing you. “It was lovely to meet you. I’ll see you again soon, sweetheart.”  
With a rush of air, he was gone before you could blink. 

***

Klaus stayed in the shadows as he followed you to make certain you made it home safely. It didn’t take long. Another three minutes without being accosted and you would have been inside your house and he might never have met you. He shook the thought away. It didn’t happen so why dwell on it. 

He had intended to keep an eye on you only until you were safely inside your home. But while you might have gone inside, you left the door open behind you. Klaus frowned. He sincerely hoped his mate wasn’t a fool. That wouldn’t do at all. Despite your assurances that you could take care of yourself, he didn’t believe it.   
Within a couple of minutes, you were back outside with a bottle in hand. Klaus narrowed his gaze. What were you up to? You placed two glasses on the table beside the bench you sat on and filled them. Well, now he had to stick around and see just who it was you were expecting, didn’t he? 

“You want a drink or what?” Klaus scanned the area but saw no one. His attention shifted back to you only to find you staring in his direction. You took a sip from one of the glasses and leaned back. “If you were going to follow me home, you could have just walked with me.”  
His frown deepened. How in the hell had you known he was there and why weren’t you afraid of him? Soulmates you may be, but you had just witnessed him kill someone. He stepped out of the shadows and your gaze focused on him. 

You smiled. “There you are. Drink?”

He didn’t answer but made his way to your porch and sat beside you. You handed him the other glass. The two of you sat in silence for a long time, just staring off into the night and enjoying each other’s presence.

“I take it you’re the hybrid I’ve heard so much about,” you finally said.

He glanced at you from the corner of his eye. “I’m not sure how to answer that, love. The talk about me tends to be rather unflattering. But, yes, I am the original hybrid.” When you said nothing, he continued. “And how is it that you know of me?”

“I know a great many things that I probably shouldn’t. You’ll get used to it.”

His lips twitched and he took a sip of his drink. He noticed your eyes follow the movement and turned his hand to look at it. His soulmark sat snuggly at the base of his ring finger on his left hand. “Rather conspicuous, isn’t it?”

You shrugged. “I suppose so. My grandfather told me about you.”

He ran his gaze over you and couldn’t help but feel you were changing the subject. Odd. But he’d allow it for now. After all, the two of you had an eternity to get to know one another. “Your grandfather?”

You nodded. “He told me about everything. Vampires, werewolves, witches, all of it. And how to defeat it. He thought I should be prepared for anything I guess.”

Klaus arched a brow. “He was a hunter?”

“Oh, gods no. A scholar. He was only truly happy when learning something new. And the supernatural fascinated him. He passed that on to me.”

“Be that as it may, pretty, most would still fear the monsters when they see them in the flesh.”

“I have seen far more fearsome beasts than you, Niklaus.” You truly believed that he wasn’t something to be feared. He could see it in the way you looked at him. 

“I wouldn’t be too sure about that, love. I am far more fearsome than you give me credit for.” 

You chuckled and leaned your head against his shoulder. He froze in surprise, afraid if he moved too suddenly, you’d come to your senses and put as much space between the two of you as possible. Finally, he worked up the nerve to move his arm around your shoulders and pull you more tightly against his side. He couldn’t help his grin when you nuzzled against him and sighed in contentment. 


	6. You must be Joking

Elijah arrived at your door early the next morning, coffee in hand. Instead of the smiling face he had come to expect he was met with a note that said you had left early for the shop. Elijah pursed his lips as he turned around to head for your bookstore. He didn’t mind meeting you somewhere else, but he did wonder why you hadn’t texted him. Perhaps you had and he simply hadn’t seen the message. His phone wasn’t exactly easy to check with both of his hands full.

When he arrived at the shop, he tried the door and was surprised to find it unlocked. A bell above it jingled announcing his arrival. “Y/N?” he called when he didn’t immediately see you.

“I’ll be right there.” You were somewhere in the room with him, but he couldn’t pinpoint your location exactly. There were far too many tall shelves for that.

After a moment you popped out from behind one of the shelves and gave him a wide smile. “Hello, Elijah.”

“Good Morning, sweet Y/N.” He leaned forward to press a kiss to your lips. You turned from it far more quickly than normal. Almost as if you were embarrassed. He frowned. Something had shifted between the two of you from when he saw you last. “Are you feeling all right?”

Your brows shot up in surprise. “Yes, of course. Why do you ask?”

He shook his head. “No reason. So why the change in venue this morning?” All it took was a glance around to see that the work wasn’t completed yet.

You sipped at your coffee and gestured toward the far wall. “The flooring I wanted is backordered. Jackson brought by some options that are in stock. I just need to pick one and they’ll start on it today.”

“Well, that explains the early morning fieldtrip.” The corner of his mouth kicked up in a grin. “Have you made a decision yet?”

You hummed. “Already sent him a text actually. Shall we go?” You tilted your head toward the door as you spoke.

“Certainly.” He held the door open for you to step out. He watched you lock up then offered you his hand. You took it, linking your fingers with his.

As the two of you walked toward your house, it was obvious your thoughts were elsewhere. A long sigh only underscored this belief. He pulled you to a stop when you reached the porch and tugged you down to sit on the steps with him. “All right, talk.”

“What?”

“Something is obviously bothering you. Let’s hear it.”

You dropped your face into your hands making Elijah frown further. You sighed again than looked back up at him. Rather than saying anything, you slid up the arm of your shirt. His brow furrowed as he tried to figure out what you were trying to tell him. After a moment, he realized another triangle rested beside his own on your soulmark. He grasped your arm gently and ran his thumb over the triangles. “When?” His voice came out rougher than he’d intended and he cleared his throat.

“Last night.”

“You were with Camille last night were you not?” He wondered where the two of you had gone that you had not only encountered this other person, but had occasion to touch them as well. Realizing he was fuming with jealousy he did his best to rein it in. Knowing that you were not his alone was one thing, seeing it in practice was quite another. He wondered how upset you would be if he removed the competition.

“I was. Then I wasn’t.”

His brow lifted at your enigmatic answer. It wasn’t like you to be coy. There was something about your meeting that you didn’t want him to know. So be it. He clenched his teeth together and a muscle twitched in his jaw. Then a cold dread settled in his stomach as he remembered the conversation he’d had with his brother this morning over breakfast.

Niklaus’s soulmark had been complete this morning when he sat at the table. When Elijah remarked on it, his brother had simply smiled and said he’d had a most interesting evening. It couldn’t be.

Elijah licked his lips. “Might I ask his name?”

“Niklaus. He didn’t give me a last name.” Your voice was quiet, unsure.

Elijah closed his eyes and muttered a silent prayer for patience. Well, there would certainly be no getting rid of the competition. He stood abruptly. “I must go.”

“What? Why?” Your eyes flared wide in panic and the sight tugged at Elijah’s heart. “I’m sorry, Elijah. I didn’t ask for this. I’m so sorry.”

He cupped your chin in his hand and gave you a soft kiss. “I am not angry with you, sweet Y/N. I merely have something I must see to. I will call you later.”

As he hurried away, he felt your gaze on him, but he didn’t dare turn back. As much as he wished to stay to reassure and comfort you, there was a conversation to be had with his brother.

***

Elijah sat on the sofa, drink in hand while he waited for Klaus to return home. After waiting for over an hour, Elijah had finally sent a text requesting his brother’s presence as soon as possible. When Niklaus finally arrived, he looked Elijah over with an arched brow and poured a drink of his own.

He licked his lips as he took the chair beside his brother. “What is it that was so urgent, brother?”

Elijah sighed. “There is something I must tell you. It is imperative that you listen and refrain from flying off the handle. Do you understand?”

“I believe I can restrain myself. What is it?”

Elijah leaned forward and sat his glass on the table in front of him before straightening the sleeves of his suitcoat. “There are a few things that I have neglected to tell you about my soulmate. Primarily that her mark is quite unusual and indicated that she would have more than one mate.”

Klaus frowned and his brow furrowed. “I can see why you would neglect to mention it. That couldn’t have been welcome news.”

“Indeed, it was not, but I decided to deal with it at the time it became an issue. Apparently, that time was last night.”

“That is tough luck, brother but I fail to see why this concerns me.” He sipped at his drink and studied his elder brother with a narrow gaze.

Elijah tilted his head. “Do you? Tell me, did you see your soulmate’s mark?”

Klaus swallowed and shook his head. “No.”

“If you would have, you would have seen another mark adjacent to yours. Two perfect triangles.”

“You must be joking.”

“That would make things simpler. And if I told you my soulmate’s name is Y/N Y/L/N? What say you then?”

Klaus was on his feet in an instant and pacing the floor. “A thousand years we have waited for our mates and it is the same woman? What tricks are the ancestors playing here, Elijah?”

“That I do not know. What I do know is I have no intention of stepping aside even for you. I have never felt this way about anyone else. I assume you feel the same.”

Klaus nodded once in answer. Elijah stood and buttoned his coat. “There is something else you should know.”

The hybrid huffed a laugh. “What else could you possibly have to tell me?”

“She bears another mark that is yet to be completed.”

“Come again?”

“You heard me, Niklaus. It appears that she possesses three soulmates.” Elijah didn’t like it anymore than his brother, but it was something that would have to be dealt with.

“I might be able to find a way to tolerate sharing her with you but with another as well? Impossible.” He slammed his glass down on the table behind him and crossed his arms over his chest.

“You will find a way or you risk losing her forever.” Elijah paused in the doorway before leaving the room. “And Niklaus?” he said without turning around.

“What?” his brother snapped.

“You will not make her feel guilty about this. It is as beyond her control as it is ours. Is that understood?” He held his breath as he awaited Klaus’s response. He preferred not to be at odds with his brother whenever possible.

“I understand.” The sorrow and disappointment in his little brother’s voice nearly had him turning, but they both needed time to process their conversation. And Elijah needed to reassure their soulmate that she held no blame for the fates.


	7. Family Matters

You had seen neither Elijah or Niklaus in the last two days. You had texted with both of them and talked to Elijah on the phone but that was all. To be honest, you expected this from Elijah but you had no idea why Niklaus was avoiding you. After another day of vague texting, you decided to head to Rousseau’s. At least when Cami texted you it was because she was working. You had no idea what excuse your soulmates had. 

Cami smiled and waved when you stepped through the door. She gestured to a spot at the end of the bar and you nodded as you made your way to it. A glance around showed it to be a slow night which meant she would be able to talk with you in between serving drinks. Once she made sure everyone else was good, she came over and sat a bottle of beer in front of you. She grinned and leaned on the bar. “Hey, stranger. How are you doing?”

You gave a little shrug as you sipped at the beer. 

“And how’s Elijah?” her voice held a teasing lilt that would normally have you returning her smile. 

Instead, you sat the beer down and picked at the label so you wouldn’t have to look up at her. “I’m pretty sure he’s decided that I’m not worth it.” Thinking the words was one thing. Actually, saying it aloud was quite another. And gods it hurt. 

“Hey, Tom,” Cami called to the only waiter on the floor. She gestured to the bar and he nodded before making his way over. She looked through the bottles, finally selecting one and grabbing it with a couple of glasses. “I’m out,” she said as Tom walked past her and once again, he simply nodded.

“You don’t have to take off on my account, Cami.” You slid off your stool to follow her to the dark booth tucked into the back corner. It was by far the quietest part of the bar. 

She glanced over her shoulder with a smirk. “I can do whatever I want. Marcel gave me the bar.”

Your brows shot up. “He bought you a bar?” you asked as you took the seat across from you. 

She nodded as she poured you both a drink. “Enough about me. Start talking. What’s going on with Elijah?”

With a sigh, you turned your arm and pushed up your sleeve so she could see your soulmarks. She grasped your wrist and twisted slightly to get a better look.

“When did this happen?” she breathed. 

“The night we were supposed to go out. I met him on my way home.”

She wrapped her hands around her glass and stared at the liquid within as she thought. “Okay. What do you know about him?” 

You huffed a laugh. “He’s gorgeous and his name is Niklaus. That’s about it.” You weren’t about to run around New Orleans announcing you’d met a hybrid.

Cami went very still and blinked at you repeatedly. In fact, she almost looked like she was in shock. You reached out and laid one of your hands over hers. “Are you okay, Cami?”

She licked her lips. “I think maybe you should talk to Marcel.”

Your brow furrowed. Why would she think you needed to talk to her soulmate? Maybe he knew Niklaus? “Yeah, all right.” Cami hadn’t steered you wrong yet and you liked Marcel so if she wanted you to talk to him, you’d talk to him.

She pulled out her phone and sent a quick text before setting it face down on the table. “While we’re waiting for him, tell me about your family. You mentioned your bitchy sister in passing and your grandfather. Anyone else.”

You sipped at your drink. “My family is a mess. Even as a small child it didn’t escape my notice that my mother favored my sister. That made me more of a daddy’s girl than I would have been anyway.”

“Didn’t he do anything about it?”

“She didn’t act that way in front of him. And what was I supposed to do? That was my mom.” You ran a hand over your face to remove any trace of the tears that kept trying to pool in your eyes. “When I was twelve years old, my father was killed. I was the one that found him. Gods, I was heartbroken. I was still wearing his blood when my mother decided to inform me that she was not my mother. My real mother had apparently given birth, taken one look at me and disappeared. Megan informed me that I was no longer her problem and told me to get out of the house.”

“That’s horrible.” Cami’s voice broke just a bit and you glanced up from where your gaze had been glued to the table. One hand covered her mouth and her eyes shone with tears of sympathy.

You gave her a sad smile. “In a way it was a relief. At least there was a reason for her to hate me so much. My grandfather took me in and reminded me everyday that there was at least one person in the world that loved me unconditionally. His death was what brought me here. There was no reason for me to stay in that town. My sister and her mom only hated me more when the found out I got all of Dad’s money. Technically it was still my grandfather’s. He fed it into a trust monthly. Megan had no idea. And for some reason they thought they would get a piece of Grandfather’s estate even though he hated them.”

Your soulmark itched and you rubbed your forearms together. “On top of that, I was always different. Different enough the other kids notice. And if my own sister was calling me a freak why shouldn’t they? She made up stories. I don’t even know what all of them were but none of them helped me gain any friends.” You looked at the mark again and swallowed the lump in your throat. “I can’t even do this right. Emily was probably right and I’ll end up alone.”

Cami covered the mark with her hand and you glanced up at her. “Don’t you believe that. She’s a jealous bitch. That’s all.”

That surprised a laugh from you. “I’ll try to remember that. I just…” You shook your head and didn’t finish the sentence. You’d been depressing enough for one night you thought. And she was friend with Elijah. She didn’t need to hear you lamenting on how you thought maybe you’d have a family again. Somewhere to welcome you with that unconditional love.

Your friend’s face lit up and you knew Marcel must have arrived. That right there was what you wanted and you’d had it, however briefly. He kissed Cami on the cheek and greeted you with a nod before taking one of the empty chairs at the table. “All right, I came as soon as I could. What’s up, baby?”

“Y/N here found another one of her soulmates.”

Marcel smiled. “Well, that’s great.” His smile faded as he took in the looks both of you wore. “Isn’t it?”

“I didn’t mention her original soulmate is Elijah Mikaelson,” Cami said and Marcel’s brows shot up. 

“Well, that certainly explains a few things about his recent behavior.” He grinned. “And I can see why you might be having some issues. Elijah’s not exactly the sharing type.”

“The other soulmate is Niklaus.” With that pronouncement, Cami leaned back and rested her elbow on the back of her chair. She pressed her lips together and looked at Marcel. 

Marcel on the other hand was staring at his soulmate with his mouth literally hanging open. “You can’t be serious?”

She shrugged and gestured toward you. You shifted in your seat feeling uncomfortable under their observation. “I feel like both of you know who Niklaus is. Would you mind sharing with the class? I know little besides his name.”

Marcel licked his lips. “I have been friends with Klaus for a very long time. I am astonished the fates even saw fit to give him a mate, honestly.”

You tilted your head and looked him over. “When you say a long time…”

He shook his head. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“You might be surprised what I’d believe.”

“In that case, would you believe me if I told you that Klaus is Niklaus Mikaelson, Elijah’s younger brother?” 

***

You excused yourself not long after. Your brain was running through what you’d discovered from your short conversation with Marcel. First and least importantly, your friend’s soulmate was a vampire. You wondered if she knew. And if she didn’t, should you tell her? I mean how exactly did one go about having a conversation like that?

Elijah and Klaus were brothers. No wonder you hadn’t really heard from either of them. Plus, that meant Elijah was a hybrid as well or a vampire maybe. Werewolves didn’t live that long. You wondered briefly if the fates were having a great cosmic laugh at your predicament. They certainly seemed to enjoy throwing the unexpected in your path at every available opportunity. 

You sent both men a text as you walked home asking them to meet you at the shop in the morning. Both accepted almost immediately. Well, this should be fun. 


	8. Revelations

You were still at the other end of the block when you spotted the two men waiting for you outside your shop. You clenched your teeth together and worked a muscle in your jaw. As pretty as they might be, you were beyond irritated with them. This all would have been much simpler had they just talked to you. From what you gathered, communication wasn’t a strength of anyone in the family.

“Hello, boys,” you announced while you were still a small way down the block.

Both men straightened immediately and turned to face you. They both offered smiles that did nothing to mask the worry in their eyes. You gave them a tight smile in return and stepped past them to unlock the door. “So, brothers, huh?”

Silence stretched until the three of you were in your store with the door closed behind you.

“Where did you learn this information?” Elijah’s tone was cautious, concerned and you rolled your eyes before turning to face him.

“You really shouldn’t be talking to anyone about us, love. It’s not safe,” Klaus added. A deep furrow had formed between his brows.

You sighed. “I literally know almost no one in this town. And I’m not about to ask a complete stranger for their opinion on my love life. I talked to Cami and Marcel. That’s it.”

Some of the tension flowed from both men. You turned your gaze on the elder brother. “So that makes you what? Vampire?”

Elijah frowned as he looked between you and his brother. “Marcel would not have revealed that information. How exactly did the two of you meet?”

Klaus grinned. “I saved the damsel, brother.”

You shook your head. “Yes, very heroic. And then he discovered the damsel couldn’t be compelled and followed her home.” You turned toward the back room and motioned for them to follow you. “Coffee, bourbon, water? Those are about the only options on hand right now.”

“It’s not even noon,” Elijah felt the need to point out.

“The time of day does not negate the necessity for a stiff drink, Elijah.” Gods help him if he tried to get between you and your bourbon right now. “And that doesn’t answer the question. Klaus?”

“Bourbon would be lovely.” There was a hint of laughter in his voice. You were so pleased you could entertain him.

You huffed out a breath and pinched the bridge of your nose. You needed to get your temper under control. Perhaps a little calming essence in your drink wouldn’t be a bad idea. You took the stairs to the upper level two at a time. The work up here had been finished earlier in the week and you had since turned it into a large sitting room. An oversized sofa and chairs took up a good chunk of the floor space. The remaining area was filled with plants of every shape and size. Including a few that weren’t exactly native so to speak though they were well hidden amongst the others as to not stand out.

“Have a seat,” you instructed and went over to pour drinks for all three of you. Keeping your back turned to them, you pulled the vial of pale blue liquid from the drawer and added a bit to your glass. You hesitated as you went to close it up and added some to both of their glasses as well. You could all do with a bit of calming you thought.

You tapped the side of each glass and smiled as the liquid stirred itself before settling as if nothing had happened. You handed a glass to each of the men before grabbing your own and sitting in one of the chairs. You sipped at your drink and closed your eyes as the warmth of the essence settled into your chest. You felt better already.

“This is superb. What brand is this?” Klaus asked as he examined the contents of the glass.

You pressed your lips together to hold back the laugh you were so tempted to release. “I have no idea. It was in a decanter in my grandfather’s office.”

The hybrid frowned. “That’s a shame.”

You hummed in agreement and leaned back in your chair. “So, I realize that I am the one that asked you here, but it was mainly so we could get this conversation out of the way.” You glanced down at your glass before looking back to them. “I find it better to deal with the issue directly rather than hope it goes away on its own. That so rarely happens.”

Elijah slid forward in his seat and sat his glass on the table in front of him. “What exactly is it you are expecting us to say?”

“Both of you have barely spoken to me since you discovered I was mated to both of you. Not that I blame you. You’re brothers. That’s far more important than whatever I bring to the table.” You stared at the glass in your hand again, unwilling to meet either of their gazes. You supposed you’d had your moment of happiness and, as much as you didn’t want to let go of it, you’d do what was needed for your mates to be happy.

“Sweetheart, I’ve waited a thousand years for you. I’m not about to give you up now,” Klaus said, his voice soft.

You jerked your head up in surprise. Your heart raced. Could he actually mean it?

“Nor am I,” Elijah added, drawing your attention.

“What does that mean, exactly?” You wanted to give into the elation running through your veins but knew to rein it in until you had all the information. “Marcel gave me the impression that you two weren’t the sharing types.”

Klaus smirked and Elijah chuckled. “Marcel would be correct. However, one can always make an exception for family,” Elijah stated.

“I won’t lie to you, Y/N,” Klaus said as his smile faded away. “Were your other soulmate anyone but Elijah they would already be dead. However, as the two of us cannot survive without each other and neither of us care to survive without you, we will make it work.”

“Are you certain? I realize we have no control over the fates, but I still would not wish to come between you.”

“It has been discussed at great length and we believe that sharing you is the only viable solution.” Elijah cleared his throat. “However, should you not wish to have a relationship with the both of us, we will accept that as well.”

Klaus grumbled something you couldn’t make out and Elijah glared at him. The corner of your mouth kicked up as you imagined the myriad of things the hybrid might have said. “I can’t imagine losing either of you,” you admitted.

Both men smiled at your words and you felt more at ease than you had in days. You weren’t losing them. At least not yet. You sucked in a breath and braced yourself. “There are some things you should know if we’re going to embrace this relationship.”

Elijah nodded. “Yes, there are things you should know about us as well.” He glanced at the time. “Would you care to accompany us back to our home? We can discuss all of our secrets over lunch.”

“Surely not all of them, brother,” Klaus protested.

Elijah rolled his eyes as he stood and you covered your mouth with your hand to hide your giggle. He held out a hand to help you to your feet. “Of course not, Niklaus. We are trying _not_ to scare her off after all.”

***

Elijah and you threw together a quick pasta lunch while Klaus stayed out of the way. He claimed it was what he did best when it came to cooking. Elijah assured you it was a lie and that his brother was just lazy in the kitchen.

The three of you took your seats at the table and the conversation began soon after. “I don’t see the point in delaying,” Elijah said and patted his lips with his napkin. “As you seem to be aware, Niklaus is a hybrid. I am a vampire as are our other siblings.”

“There are more of you?” The thought was slightly terrifying if you were honest. A family of vampires. It almost sounded like…You dropped your head into your hand. “I’m an idiot.”

“I fail to see what us telling you about Kol and Rebekah has to do with your intelligence level, love.”

You shifted position so your chin now rested in your hand and looked at the brothers. “You’re the Originals, aren’t you?”

Elijah arched a brow. “Once again your knowledge surprises me. Yes, we are the Original family. Cursed to this life rather than created. But a thousand years has eased some of the bitterness.”

Klaus snorted. “Speak for yourself, brother.”

“Be that as it may,” Elijah said waving a hand through the air, “our status brings its own set of dangers with it. Our enemies go beyond those that would slay us simply for being other.”

You shrugged. “You’ve also had a thousand years to piss people off.”

Elijah gave a soft smile. “And what of you, sweet Y/N? You eluded to your own secrets.”

You leaned back in your seat and rested your elbow on the back of your chair as you turned to better face your mates. “My grandfather was ill for some time before he passed though none of the tests showed anything. He was just old, tired, I think. Turning 167 will do that to a person I guess.”

Both men stilled and blinked several times. “Witch?” Klaus asked.

You shook your head and the corner of your mouth curled in a little smirk. “My family has always aged well. Dad was nearly seventy when he was killed. Didn’t look a day over thirty-five. He’s been gone for forty years now.”

Elijah narrowed his eyes as he looked you over. “That would make you fifty-two? I think not.”

You moved a hand in front of your face, transforming your appearance to a much older woman. You did it again and switched back. “This is the real me. I used the glamor to avoid suspicion.”

“So, you _are_ a witch,” Klaus said.

“You’re very hung up on this witch thing,” you teased.

“If you’re not a witch then what the devil are you?”

You raised a finger. “I am fae, hybrid, and I was not lying when I said I have seen far more fearsome things than the likes of you.”

“I thought your kind all but eradicated,” Elijah said, a trace of awe in his voice.

“They are. In this realm at any rate. As far as I know they still thrive in the fae lands. My grandfather was half fae, my grandmother full, as was my mother. There is but a trace of human in me. Just enough to ensure I get chilled in the winter and sweat in the summer.”

“This is amazing.” Elijah’s voice was little more than a breath.

“Quite. Imagine what we can do with a fae on our side,” Klaus added.

Your lips twitched. “Do you even know what the fae are capable of, Niklaus Mikaelson? What I am capable of?”

He mirrored your expression and leaned toward you. “No, but I certainly look forward to finding out.”


	9. Well, Hello There, Darling

Before the conversation could get much further, it was interrupted by the front door opening. Elijah sighed at the sound of arguing before giving you a tight smile. “It seems we are being graced with the presence of our younger siblings.”

The voices grew louder and you turned your attention to the doorway waiting for their owners to make their appearance. A tall blonde female with aristocratic features and a man with dark hair and eyes finally came into view. You ran your gaze over Rebekah first. There was no disputing her beauty though something about the way she carried herself told you that she was well aware of her appeal. She didn’t bare much resemblance to any of her brothers though you’d say she looked more like Niklaus than either of the other two if pressed.

Your attention shifted to Kol and you tilted your head as you took him in. He was as attractive as both his older brothers though there was something about him that screamed trouble. The sound of a clearing throat caught the attention of the bickering siblings and their conversation faded as they turned their attention to the rest of you. They seemed surprised to find the three of you sat at the table.

“I thought you were going to be gone for the afternoon,” Klaus said, irritation heavy in his voice.

Rebekah’s eyes ran over the length of you and her frown deepened. “My ability for tolerating Kol eroded much sooner than usual. Who is this?”

“Rebekah, Kol, this is Y/N Y/L/N. Our soulmate,” Elijah explained. Nothing in his tone even hinted at him being affected by the oddness of the situation.

Kol’s brows shot up and he shifted his attention solely to you. As soon as those dark eyes met yours a shiver shot up your spine. “Did you say _our_ soulmate, brother?”

It was Klaus that answered him. “Yes. It would appear Elijah and I have been gifted with the same soulmate. Be nice.”

A smile covered the younger Mikaelson’s face. “As if I would be anything but.” He sauntered over, closing the distance between you and taking your hand in his own. You gasped as that by now familiar heat flared beneath your skin. Seriously?

Kol’s smile turned down right predatory as he placed a kiss on the back of your hand. “Well, hello there, darling.”

He moved to take the empty chair beside you, his eyes never moving from you.

“This is a private conversation, brother,” Klaus bit out.

Kol left his gaze on you though his smile widened. He rolled up his left sleeve to show the now completed soulmark that sat just below the bend of his elbow. A fist slammed into the table causing you to jump. You turned wide eyes on a furious hybrid.

“Calm yourself, Niklaus,” Elijah instructed.

“You cannot be any happier about this than I am.”

Your gaze shifted to Elijah who graced you with a soft smile. “Of course, I am not happy. I’d much rather have her to myself. But all things considered, if she must be shared, at least it is between the three of us.”

“And what a bloody comfort that is.”

Klaus’ tone made your stomach churn and you rested a hand against your abdomen as you swallowed past the lump in your throat. You didn’t like this situation any more than they did but you had no control over it. And it wasn’t as if you could just pick one and forget the others existed. That wouldn’t be fair to any of you and you were certain it would break your heart. Even Kol who you just met had a pull on you like nothing you’d ever felt before meeting the trio of brothers.

“Let me see if I am understanding this correctly,” Rebekah said from the doorway. You’d forgotten she was even there. She motioned around the table with her finger. “The three of you all have the same soulmate?”

“It would appear that way, yes,” Elijah responded.

The silence stretched until it was broken by the blonde’s laughter. “This is perfect. Absolutely perfect.” She turned and walked off before anyone could respond. Or perhaps no one wanted to. At least someone was happy about your predicament.

The weight of the stares of all three brothers was a heavy burden to bear and you focused your attention on the now cold food on your plate. You’d been trying to accept all of this as stoically as possible but there was only so much you could take. Your life had been completely turned upside down in a matter of months. And the times you’d allowed yourself to contemplate having more than one soulmate you’d always assumed they would be compatible personalities. An alpha with a beta or two whose strengths complimented each other.

Instead you’d ended up with three very alpha Original vampire brothers. And while their relationship may prevent them from killing one another, it wouldn’t keep them from arguing over you. Plus, you couldn’t help but wonder what made the fates think you were special enough to warrant three gorgeous soulmates.

A hand on your shoulder caused you to jump and you glanced over to find Kol with a small smile and a question in his eyes. “I do hope I’m not a disappointment, darling.”

You shook your head immediately to ease his worries and glanced between the three of them. “This is all just a little overwhelming and unexpected, to say the least.”

“Of course, it is,” Elijah rushed to assure you. The look he shot his brothers dared them to argue with him. “We have no intention of rushing you into anything, sweet Y/N. Take your time.”

The corner of your mouth kicked up. “See, that right there is one of the things I’m worried about.”

“You’re worried about us giving you time, love?” Klaus’ brow furrowed as he frowned at you.

“No, I’m concerned about the fact that Elijah is speaking for all of you when I know he couldn’t have possibly spoken to Kol to get his opinion.” You sighed. “What if he doesn’t want to give me time, Elijah? Were you going to beat him into submission?”

Kol snorted. “I’d like to see him bloody try.”

Unable to help yourself, you huffed a laugh. “That’s my point. I don’t want to be the cause of any disagreement between the three of you. I won’t be responsible for destroying your relationship.”

The silence stretched and your gaze darted between the brothers as they contemplated your words. Predictably, Elijah was the first to speak. “My relationship with my siblings has always been…complicated. Even before we became what we are it was colored and corrupted by our parents. When things changed it became both more and less twisted. Our new status brought heightened emotions but also a new strength to fight against our father.”

“And each other,” Kol couldn’t help but add.

“Kol.” Klaus’ voice was low, a warning heavy in the tone.

“Oh, don’t start, Niklaus. You are the one that keeps stabbing us and putting us in boxes for decades at a time.”

Klaus’ jaw set and he refused to meet your gaze. “It was for your own safety, Kol. Mikael was still on the loose and hunting us all. Your actions were drawing unwanted attention.”

“Don’t pretend your actions were some noble gesture on your part. You wanted control and obedience and achieved it by whatever means necessary.” Kol stood and leaned forward, his hands resting on the table as he stared down his brother.

Elijah cleared his throat. “I believe you two are doing nothing but proving her point.”

All three brothers turned their attention to you once more and you shifted on your chair. Kol graced you with a soft smile. “Actually, we’re proving Elijah’s point. I believe what he was trying to say earlier is that we have always had our issues and it was unlikely your presence would make them any worse than they already are.”

You tilted your head. “Oddly enough, that’s not very comforting.”

“Yes, well…” Elijah trailed off, leaving the fact you might as well get used to it unspoken.

“So, darling, how about you and I get to know each other a little better?” Kol asked as he pulled your chair away from the table.

“I think not,” Elijah answered for you. His jaw was tight as his gaze flicked between the two of you.

Kol chuckled. “I simply intended to take her for a drink, Elijah. Calm down.”

The elder brother hummed as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his seat. “Don’t act as if I have no reason to question your intentions, Kol. I know you too well.”

Tension stiffened Kol’s body indicating a fight was about to start any moment. You shot to your feet, hands held up to stave off whatever they’d been about to say each other. “That will be enough of that.” You ran your gaze over the three of them again. They simply stared back waiting to see what you’d do. Your nature didn’t lend itself to being the center of attention. To being in charge. You were used to staying in the background. It kept your step-mother and her daughter from harping at you. It also made it easier to maintain your glamor if no one knew you well enough to pick up any mistakes.

All that being said, you also didn’t wish to listen to the siblings bicker any longer. Kol was right. You needed to spend time with them and get to know them away from one another. “Let’s start with a date and go from there.”

One of Klaus’ brows shot up. “With all of us?”

“Not at the same time, no.” Even the thought had your stomach sinking. You could just imagine a meal spent in silence with them glaring at each other across the table. Well, fates forbid anything be easy. “I’ll start with Kol as I know the least about him. Then Klaus followed by Elijah. It only seems fair.”

The look the siblings exchanged said they weren’t entirely in agreement with your assessment but they were smart enough not to voice their thoughts. “If that’s what you want, love,” Klaus said.

“For the moment, yes.”

Kol grasped your hand in his and lifted it to his mouth as he’d done earlier. He paused with your hand inches from his lips. “This evening then?”

You nodded to confirm and he grinned. Instead of kissing the back of your hand as you’d expected, he turned his grip at the last moment and pressed his lips softly to your wrist. A wave of heat rolled through you as Kol studied you through hooded eyes. Finally, he released you and stepped back. “Wear whatever you like, darling. I shall see you soon.” With that, he disappeared before you could ask any questions.

Your attention returned to the other two to see them still staring at the doorway their brother disappeared through. You cleared your throat. “I should go.”

They got to their feet. Elijah gave you a nod. “Of course.”

The three of you walked to the door in silence and Elijah opened it for you. Giving into impulse, you turned and gave them each a kiss on the cheek before you left. You hurried to your car, not chancing a glance back. Your life was about to get very interesting.


	10. Date 1

By the time Kol arrived at your door at ten minutes after six, you had dressed in your favorite jeans and a flowy top. You’d freshened up your hair and makeup before sliding some cash and your ID into a pocket. You had no idea what the vampire had planned but hopefully you’d pass inspection.

You took a deep breath then opened the door with a smile. Kol stood on your porch grinning and let his gaze run over you. “Hello, darling. You look lovely.” He turned and offered you his arm. “Shall we?”

You closed and locked the door behind you before taking the offered arm. “So, what is on the agenda for this evening if I might ask?”

He hummed. “How do you feel about clowns?”

It didn’t take you long to discover that your date with Kol was taking place at a carnival. As soon as you caught sight of the lights, you’d started to grin. You squeezed his arm a little tighter. “I haven’t been to a carnival in ages.”

“That makes two of us. What would you like to do first?”

Your eyes ran around taking in the booths full of food and games before moving onto the rides. There were so many choices. Your stomach let out a little growl making the decision for you.

Kol laughed. “Food it is. It seems we have a variety of fried foods, foods on sticks and fried foods on sticks. What will it be?”

“Fried food on a stick please.” You pointed to a nearby booth that sold corndogs and funnel cakes.

He gave you a little bow before steering you to a table where you could wait for him. “As the lady wishes.”

When Kol returned with your food, he took the seat across from you and watched while you ate.

“What?”

He rested his chin in his hand and grinned. “I’m just astonished that you’re mine. You are rather breathtaking.”

You huffed a laugh. “I guess it’s a good thing you don’t need to breathe then.”

He laughed and reached out to take your free hand in his. His thumb ran over your knuckles.

“Are you happy? Even though you have to share me?” The question came out softer than you’d intended, but he heard you just the same.

His head tilted as he looked you over. “Did you know that the fae were cursed several centuries ago?”

You shook your head as you pushed your trash to the side to be disposed of later. Kol turned your hand over and traced the lines with one finger.

“There was a witch. A pretty thing by all accounts. Apparently, she was blissfully happy with her fae lover. But when she wished to wed him, he refused. He would only marry another fae.”

A shudder ran up your spine and Kol glanced up in surprise. “Sorry. I just have an idea where this is going.”

He nodded and turned his attention back to your palm. “She brewed a curse to ensure her lover’s line would continue with no one but her. And that his soulmate would never be true to him. Her rage and heartbreak made the spell far more powerful than she had intended and it affected not only her lover but all of the fae. It is believed that nature twisted the effects to keep the fae from dying out. The fae still have children obviously, though their numbers are far fewer than they used to be.”

He turned your arm and pushed your sleeve up so he could see your now completed soulmark. He ran his thumb across the smooth skin, a fond smile crossing his lips. “And it is almost unheard of for a full fae female to have only one soulmate.”

“So, this is normal?”

“For you? Absolutely.”

You sat in stunned silence for a moment. The very thing that your sister had ridiculed and tormented you over was common among the fae. A joyful laugh erupted from you. You couldn’t recall a time when you ever felt normal, but you were pretty damned close at the moment. And it was all thanks to Kol. “How do you know all that?”

“We own a rather extensive library and Elijah has always been a bit of a hoarder when it comes to books. Some of them are centuries old. I did a little digging this afternoon.”

“That’s sweet, but tell the truth. You were trying to find a way to get rid of the other two soulmates, weren’t you?”

Kol scoffed and placed a hand to his chest in mock insult. “You wound me, Y/N. As if I have ever committed a selfish act in my entire being.”

“Wow, Kol. That was…completely unbelievable. Nice try though.”

His grin had you laughing once more.

***

By the time your evening was drawing to a close, your stomach ached from laughing so much. Kol’s carefree, playful attitude was exactly what you needed to lift your spirits. And you could absolutely see how you would need him to counteract the seriousness of his brothers. Kol would be the one who wasn’t afraid to spend time on frivolities as long as it made you happy.

The two of you were holding hands as you strolled around and you used your grip to tug him in the direction of the Ferris wheel. “Come on. Let’s be completely cliché and end the night on the Ferris wheel.”

He tugged you to a stop and pulled you close to him. His eyes searched yours. “Only if I get to kiss you at the top.”

You smiled as you wrapped your arms around his neck. “You can kiss me now, if that’s what you’re after.”

As if he’d been waiting all evening for the invitation, he surged forward, capturing your lips with his. The kiss was soft but hungry. You pulled away with a chuckle. “Ferris wheel, Kol.”

He huffed. “Very well.”

The two of you took full of advantage of the ride to continue the make-out session. When it was time to get off, the operator had to practically shout to get your attention. Heat flooded your cheeks, but Kol was simply annoyed.

“All right, we’re going.” He took your hand to help you out of the car and kept hold of it as the two of you walked toward the parking lot.

When you reached your house, Kol came around to open your door and walk you up to the porch. After unlocking your front door, you turned to face him. You leaned into him and pressed another kiss against his lips. One hand found the back of your head while the other settled on your waist as he deepened the kiss.

When you separated you laid your hand on his chest. “I had a nice time tonight. Thank you.”

He grinned again and his chest puffed out slightly. “I’m glad.”

“I should get inside.”

He nodded and took a step back, letting his arms fall to his sides. You instantly missed their warmth. “Yeah. Goodnight, darling.”

“Goodnight, Kol.” You stood in the doorway watching him return to his car.

When he arrived at his door, he turned back to you. “Y/N Y/L/N, I am thrilled that you’re mine.” And with that he slid into the car and was on his way a moment later.

You stepped into your house and paused to look back out into the night before shutting the door. “Goodnight, boys.” You were almost certain you heard a hybrid curse in response.


	11. Date 2 and Date 3

Klaus was right on time for your date the next evening. Again, you had dressed in smart casual while your date wore jeans and a Henley. When he offered you his arm you couldn’t help but run your hand over the soft fabric of his shirt. It was the kind of softness that came from natural wear rather than being purchased that way. It made you smile to discover something as simple as that about your hybrid escort. 

The two of you exchanged small talk as he led you through the streets of the city. He pulled you to a stop as you arrived at a small diner that looked as if it hadn’t been updated in a decade or two. You glanced at him in surprise. 

He grinned. “Trust me, love.”

“I do,” you assured him as the two of you stepped inside. “This just doesn’t seem like your type of place.”

He escorted you to a booth in the back. As you passed the counter, he greeted the waitress with a nod. “Two, please.”

“Sure thing, hon.”

After the two of you had settled across from one another he picked up the earlier conversation. “So, if this isn’t my type of place, what is?”

You shrugged. “Not super fancy. High-end steak place, maybe?”

He hummed in agreement and thanked the waitress as she brought water and coffee for the two of you. “I am partial to a good steak, but I like any place where the food is good. And this little establishment has the best gumbo in the city.”

Your brows lifted. “Seriously?”

He nodded once and sipped his coffee. 

Before you could ask anything else, the food arrived. One bite and you were sold. “Holy shit.”

That grin was back. “Told you. You should feel privileged, love. I haven’t even brought my siblings here.”

“Family is important to you, isn’t it?” Despite their bickering, it was obvious. It was strange for you as your experience with family was limited and you didn’t care for most of them. 

“Family is everything.”

“Then why do you fight constantly?”

He pursed his lips as he thought. “I wouldn’t call it fighting. We snipe at each other. We all believe we know what’s best for ourselves and our siblings. And yes, we’ve had some monumental disagreements over the years, but we’ve always been there for each other when needed. Our parents were subpar. In Mikael’s case, he was abusive in every way a parent can be. All we had was each other and it has been that way for the last thousand years.”

You shook your head. “I have no idea what it’s like to depend on someone that much. My father and I were always close but he had a wife and another daughter to split his time with. Then he died when I was twelve. My grandfather was everything but he was already ailing when he took me in. It wasn’t long before I was taking care of him more than he took care of me. We loved each other deeply, but I was always kind of on my own, you know?”

He reached out a hand to lay on top of yours. “Not anymore, sweetheart. We’re your family now. Even Rebekah, though she may take a bit longer to come around.”

Moisture pooled in your eyes and you wiped it away. 

Klaus gave you a cockeyed smirk.

“I’m not crying.”

He leaned back and resumed eating. “Of course, not.”

“The gumbo is spicy. That’s all.”

“As you say, love.”

***

Date #3

Elijah hadn’t told you what to wear on your date, but given his usual attire, you decided to dress up. You wore a white dress with a wide skirt and large blue flowers scattered across the fabric. When you answered the door, he ran his gaze over you and a slow smile covered his face. “You look beautiful.”

Heat rushed to your face at the compliment and you ducked your head as you gave him a soft smile. “Thank you. You look handsome as always.”

He escorted you to a car as elegant as its owner. The two of you held hands as you drove. It wasn’t long before you passed through the business areas and into a nicer part of the city. “Where are we going?”

The corner of his mouth kicked up. “Dinner.”

Well, that told you absolutely nothing. You weren’t sure why you were surprised that was all you got out of him. You sighed and he chuckled beside you.   
Realizing any more questions would be futile, you just sat quietly and enjoyed the scenery. Finally, Elijah pulled up in front of an enormous gothic mansion. The property had everything from iron gates to gargoyles staring down from the roof. You weren’t certain you could have found a more stereotypical New Orleans home if you tried. 

Elijah took your hand in his and veered from the front door to take you around the side of the house. “This place is gorgeous, Elijah.”

“Just wait, Y/N.”

Moments later, you cleared the side of the house and a garden opened before you. Lights decorated trees and hung in strings along brick pathways. The way the plants filled the space told you they’d been here for years if not decades. “It’s amazing.” Your voice was little more than a whisper as Elijah tugged you closer to him. 

Your eyes never stopped moving as he took you deeper into the garden until you came to a small table just big enough for two. A man stood nearby with a cart of covered dishes. You were stunned to say the least. You never would have imagined anyone doing this for you, not even your soulmate. Elijah pulled out your seat, only taking his own once you were settled as you should be at the table. 

He said nothing as the man poured you both a glass of wine before placing a plate full of food in front of you. It was still steaming. Finally, the man finished serving and left with a click of his heels and a small bow. You simply looked at your date in awe. 

His lips twitched. “I trust you will find the meal enjoyable, sweet Y/N.”

“This is crazy. You do realize that, right?” You gestured at everything around you. “Whose place is this anyway?”

“A friend. I thought you might enjoy the gardens.” He shrugged as if it was no big deal and began to eat his food. 

“Enjoy the…” you trailed off with a shake of your head. Elijah had gone above and beyond and he knew it. Therefore, you said the only thing that came to mind. “Thank you, Elijah. It’s perfect.”

He glanced up from his plate and grinned. “Says perfection herself.” 

Gods, that was cheesy but you loved it. You reached across the table and took his hand in yours. The two of you continued to hold hands as you ate and talked. Shortly after you were done eating, Elijah pulled his phone from his pocket and sent a quick message. Then he pulled you to your feet and into his arms. “What are you doing?”

“Patience, sweet one.” 

No sooner had he said the words than the soft sound of a violin drifted to you from somewhere closer to the house. As he spun you into a dance, you laughed in pure happiness. Each of your soulmates was perfect for you in a different way and you had no idea what you had done to be so lucky but you would thank the gods for it every day. 

Your first 50 years hadn’t been the best and there were many things you would change if you could. Every moment since you’d met Elijah and then his brothers had pushed those memories further away. The loneliness that all but swallowed you at times was fading with those memories. This was your life now and it was absolutely brilliant.


	12. Can We Talk?

And so your life went for several weeks. A rotation of dates and coffee and days chatting in your shop while you worked. You saw all three of your soulmates often, but rarely together. Truth be told you were getting a bit tired of the endless loop. Everything you wanted to tell the brothers you had to say three times because you were never together with all of them at the same time. Even when you went to the house, which admittedly was rare and brief, the two you weren’t scheduled to be with that day always made themselves scarce.

You’d recruited Marcel into helping you get the three of them together. After proclaiming that you needed a day to yourself and dealing with moping from all three of them, Marcel had requested a meeting. It was the only way to ensure they would be home at the same time with no one dodging out.

At seven o’clock you followed Marcel as he walked into the house without knocking.

“Marcel, good to see you my friend. Whatever can we do for you this time?” Klaus asked. You smiled at the happy tone to his voice. He had certainly mellowed out since the two of you met.

“Actually, I’m just here to drop something off.” He stepped to the side to reveal you hiding behind him. “Call me if you need anything, Y/N.” He gave you a brief kiss on the cheek, chuckling when all three brothers made some sound of protest.

All of you were silent until Marcel left shutting the door behind him.

“Hello, boys,” you greeted with a smile.

They smiled back before shifting their weight and putting more room between themselves. You sighed.

“What are you doing here, sweet Y/N? And why involve Marcel?” Elijah asked as he straightened his suitcoat.

“Because I need to talk to all of you and it was the only way to ensure the three of you would get together without me having to pitch a fit about it. So, sit because I have something to say. After I’m done you can leave if you wish.”

The three of them exchanged a look before taking their seats. All of them shifted their weight, clearly nervous about whatever you wished to discuss. You chewed on the end of your thumb as you paced the floor trying to find the perfect words to convey your feelings.

“Whatever it is, we can take it, darling,” Kol assures you. “Just tell us.”

You sucked in a deep breath and nodded once as you turned to face them. “Fine. I can’t keep doing this.” You gestured between yourself and them.

“You’re rejecting us?” The pain in Klaus’s voice nearly brings tears to your eyes.

“No, of course not,” you say with a shake of your head. “The last few weeks have been the happiest of my life. I wouldn’t give them up for anything, but the truth is that I’ve fallen in love.”

Silence stretched for a beat then Elijah cleared his throat. “With whom precisely?”

You shrugged and dropped into a nearby chair. “With all of you. Elijah, I love your calm, protective spirit. The quiet strength that infuses everything that you do. Klaus, I love the soft side of you that creates such beautiful art and I love the other side of you that furiously protects those you love. And Kol, I love your playful heart and the warmth you bring to my life.” You twisted your hands together in your lap. “See, you each have a piece of me and there is no way I could ever pick one of you over the others.”

“Nor would we ask you to,” Elijah is quick to assure you.

“I know that. But I also can’t keep doing what we’re doing. What’s the long-term plan here guys? Am I supposed to just live on my own in my house alternating the time I spend with you?” You shook your head. “I live my life in triplicate. I repeat stories and experiences so no one misses out but it’s driving me mad.”

You held up a hand to stave off any arguments while you took a second to just breathe. “And aside from any intimacies, I like to be held. I want to wake up in someone’s arms and go to sleep the same way. I’ve told you before if you don’t want to share, I understand, but what we’re doing now isn’t working.” Tears ran down your cheeks and you swiped them away. The thought of losing any of them was heartbreaking. Losing all of them might just kill you.

You kept your face turned from them as you got to your feet. “I’m sorry. I always seem to be causing problems. I’ll let you all talk. You can call me later and let me know what you decide.”

A hand wrapped around your wrist and you turned to find Kol standing beside you. As your eyes met his, he ran his thumb over your skin in a comforting gesture. His smile was soft, sweet. “There’s nothing to decide, sweetheart. We already told you that you weren’t getting rid of us.” His grin widened as he leaned toward you. “And I love you, too.” He leaned forward and pressed his lips to yours in a gentle kiss.

Someone cleared their throat and a hand dropped onto Kol’s shoulder. He winked at you before stepping to the side.

Klaus took both of your hands in his and ran his gaze over your face. “It has been a very long time since I have told anyone outside of this family that I cared for them and came even close to meaning it. I love you, Y/N. We’ll figure this out.” Another soft kiss followed his words.

When the two of you separated, a hand on your chin turned your head while Klaus maintained his hold on your hands. Elijah gave you a smile and another kiss, though his was maybe just a touch needier, a little deeper. He kept his eyes locked on yours as he pulled back. “I love you as well. The only problem here is that you felt you couldn’t discuss this with us. We should have been more aware. We apologize.”

Usually, you got onto them when they spoke for their siblings but you’d come to realize that they usually did know precisely what the others would say. You supposed that came with a thousand years in each other’s company. The brothers shifted you over to the couch and rearranged things so your back was leaning against Kol’s chest while your feet draped over the laps of his brothers.

“I suppose we should tell you that we have had more than one conversation about only getting to see every three days. We don’t care for that part any more than you do.” Klaus tilted his head. “Frankly, while you said you wished to maintain a relationship with the three of us, we weren’t certain you were prepared for the realities of that. We didn’t want to scare you away by moving too quickly.”

You shook your head and huffed a laugh. “This whole thing has been the definition of too quick from the beginning but it feels right. Maybe the fates do occasionally know what they’re up to.”

“Move in with us,” Kol said, suddenly.

Your brows lifted. This conversation had gone in an entirely different direction than you had anticipated when you left your house this evening.

Klaus gave you that lopsided smirk of his. “As much as we adore your house, love, it isn’t big enough for all of us.”

You tilted your head back to look at Kol before glancing to Klaus and Elijah in turn. “You guys really have discussed this, haven’t you?”

“I assure you that our future with you has been the topic of multiple conversations.” Elijah untied your sneakers and slipped them off while he spoke.

“Of course, I’ll move in. Tomorrow though. Tonight I am entirely too comfortable.” You closed your eyes as Elijah ran a thumb up the middle of the sole of your foot. You groaned as if to emphasize your point and your soulmates laughed. The sound eased the lingering tension the evening had brought with it. Right here with the three of them was where you belonged.

***

The next morning you woke alone though you’d gone to sleep in Kol’s bed—wearing Klaus’s shirt and Elijah’s sleep pants. You supposed that was a compromise. Not that you were about to complain. It was perfect. You had stayed up entirely too late trading stories and making plans and you were feeling it this morning. Regardless of the time you got to bed, your internal clock never allowed you to sleep past seven. Gah. You needed coffee. A dose of energy magic wouldn’t be amiss either, but all your mixtures were either at home or at the shop.

You shuffled into the living room only to find it empty. You turned and made your way toward Klaus’s office knowing he liked to paint in the early morning light that came through the windows. Sure enough, he was examining a canvas with a tilt of his head and a mug cupped in his hand. You sniffed the air as you crossed the floor. When you reached him, you stretched to give him a kiss and stole the mug from his hand. After a glance to insure it wasn’t blood, you took a sip and hummed in appreciation. Coffee.

“Help yourself, love,” Klaus said with a chuckle.

“I did.” You moved to a chair that sat nearby and curled up on the seat so you could watch him work while you woke up. “It’s lovely.”

His eyes darted from the canvas over to you and back again. “Thank you. There’s something missing though.”

“Needs red on the left to balance out the bit on the right.”

He stepped back and tilted his head again. After a moment he looked at you in surprise. “I think you’re right. How did you see that?”

You shrugged. “I’m your soulmate.”

He grinned as he closed the distance between you to give you a good morning kiss. “That you are, love.”

“Where are your brothers?”

Klaus moved back to his easel and prepared the red paint he needed to fix his painting. “Kol has gone to your shop to hang a closed for the day sign on your door. He also said something about beignets. And I have no idea where Elijah has disappeared to. He simply said he had something to see to.”

“Maybe I didn’t want to be closed today,” you argued. Not that you cared in the least. You’d rather spend your day moving your things into the house. During the course of the conversations the night before the decision was made that you’d be keeping your house for the time being. You just loved it too much to get rid of it. The plan was to fix some other things up on it and use it as a little retreat if you wanted some time alone with one of your soulmates.

“I guess you can take the sign off the door then, darling,” Kol said. You turned to find him in the doorway with a bag and a fresh cup of coffee.

“My hero,” you claimed dramatically while making grabbing motions toward the breakfast he’d brought you.

He held the food away from you as he leaned forward. “My reward first please.”

You gave him a kiss then held your hands out for the food. As you took a bite of a still warm beignet, you moaned in appreciation. “Kol, you are my favorite witch turned vampire.”

The brothers laughed.

“What does that make me, love?”

“My favorite hybrid, of course.”

“And dare I ask what that means for Elijah?” Kol teased.

“He’s my favorite vampire in a suit.” You didn’t look up through any of this as you were far too focused on ingesting caffeine and sugar.

“Dare I ask?” Elijah’s smooth, slightly accented voice flowed through the room announcing his presence.

You looked up with a grin and tilted your head back for a kiss when he came over to you. He unbuttoned his coat and took a seat nearby after accepting one of the beignets you offered him.

“Where did you get off to this morning?” Kol asked.

“I was arranging workers to transport Y/N’s belongings this afternoon. We can spend the morning determining what she wishes to bring with her.” He brushed at the arm of the chair though you saw nothing there.

“So, I don’t have to pack or move anything? Someone else will do it for me?”

“Of course.” Elijah appeared rather surprised that you had even questioned that fact.

“Sorry, you two. Elijah’s now my favorite.”

The elegant original immediately tried to hide his grin while Klaus and Kol looked affronted. At least they did until Klaus picked you up and tossed you over his shoulder. He held you in place while Kol tickled your sides until you squealed. They only relented when you took back your proclamation and announced they were all your favorite.

As you sat back in your chair trying to catch your breath, you couldn’t keep the grin from your face. It was a good day and the first in the rest of your forever. 


	13. Chosen Family

You were spending a rare day alone in your shop several weeks later when your phone rang. The caller ID said Klaus but when you answered, all three brothers could be clearly heard. They weren’t fighting but they were talking over one another. You waited until there was a small break in the chatter before saying “Hello” rather loudly.

Klaus chuckled. “Hello, pretty.”

You couldn’t help but laugh in response. “What is going on over there?”

“Hold on. I’m going to put you on speaker.” A few seconds later all three men called their respective greetings.

“We had a delivery arrive a short time ago. As none of us ordered anything, we had it placed in your room,” Elijah said, curiosity coloring his words.

You grinned, you couldn’t help yourself. You’d forgotten the bed was arriving today or you would have warned them. “Did they set it up? They were supposed to set it up.”

“Yes, darling, they did. Something you’d like to share with the rest of us?” Kol asked.

“Well, of course I want to share with the rest of you. That bed is entirely too large for me to sleep in by myself.” You laughed, but not loud enough for them to hear.

“Wherever did you find such a thing? I don’t think I’ve ever seen it’s like.” Elijah was clearly amused. As he should be. The bed was enormous and had cost a small fortune for you to have it made.

“I had it made, of course. There should have been some boxes delivered with it. One has sheets in it. If you throw a set in the wash, we can make the bed when I come home.” Through all of this you kept your voice perfectly level as if it was the most ordinary thing in the world to have a giant bed delivered without warning your partners it was coming.

“Love, as entertaining as this conversation has been, _why_ did you buy a giant bed that must have cost a bloody fortune?”

“Because I’m tired of rotating between you. This way all of us can sleep together.”

“And how do you suppose that will work? There are three of us, and as much as I love my brothers I have no desire to spoon either of them,” Klaus said and there were immediate sounds of disgust from his siblings.

You giggled. “We’ll figure it out.”

The bell over the door rang and you glanced up to see one of your regulars step inside. You gave her a smile and a wave. “Time to go. I have a customer.” You hung up without waiting for a response. “Hello, Mrs. Finley. How are you today? Can I make you a cup of tea?”

***

Klaus picked you up and rushed you home. They were impatient to show you that they’d placed the sheets and blankets on the bed and about a thousand pillows so it was ready for all of you. It was even better than you imagined it would be. You rushed across the room and launched yourself onto it, laughing when you bounced. Only a second passed before Klaus laid to your right, Kol to your left and Elijah laid above you and pressed a kiss to your head.

Your face hurt from smiling so much and you closed your eyes to just enjoy being with your men. “See, perfect.”

Klaus placed his fingers on your chin and turned your face toward him. After he claimed your lips, he pressed his forehead to yours. “I’ll concede the point, but I do wish you had allowed one of us to pay for it.”

“Don’t worry. I stole the card out of your wallet.”

The hybrid laughed. “You could have just asked, love. It’s not as if any of us would tell you no.”

You hummed in agreement. They really did spoil you far too much. “If I asked it wouldn’t have been a surprise.” Eventually, you all needed to sit and have a discussion about finances. They continuously acted as though you were some poor maiden even though you’d told them multiple times you had enough money to take care of yourself. The truth was you could have paid for the bed easily on your own, but knew they’d want to once they saw it.

Before you could say anything else, lips pressed against the spot just behind your ear. You closed your eyes with a sigh as Kol traveled down the length of your neck, his teeth nipping softly at the skin. Heat blossomed through you and you arched your back trying to get closer to one of your men.

Klaus’s low chuckle sounded in your ear just before he trailed the same path on the other side of your neck. Elijah ran his fingers through your hair. Hands caressed bare skin on your arms and fingers unfastened your jeans. With your eyes closed, everything was just a sea of endless sensation.

It didn’t take you long to realize the benefit of your soulmates having 3000 years’ experience between them.

***

Gray light of early morning filtered through your curtains. You laid on Kol’s chest while his fingers lazily traced your spine. Klaus laid on his back on one side with his hand resting on the back of your thigh. Elijah lay on the other, head propped in his hand as the two of you gazed at one another. Occasionally, he’d trail a finger up the length of your arm. It tickled but you were too satiated to complain.

“I really do think this bed was the best idea,” Kol said making all of you laugh.

You hummed in agreement. “Absolutely.”

“Oh, love, what’s this?” Klaus asked as he did his best to turn your leg. “I nearly forgot about that.”

“Whatever are you talking about, Niklaus?” Elijah asked.

“The bonding mark.” Once soulmates consummated their relationship, they were marked with another symbol in addition to the triangle that varied from individual to individual.

You pushed yourself up and glanced at Kol beneath you. A line of bright rainbow-colored flames ran in a line across the left side of his chest. You traced it with your finger and smiled. “It’s so pretty.”

“Yes, it is,” he responded with a grin and ran his hand over the same spot on your chest. You glanced down to find a watercolor rainbow swirl interspersed with stars so it appeared to sparkle. “The rainbow must represent magic. But what of the flames?”

You shook your head. “I don’t know.”

“It’s my turn, love. Let me see that lovely thigh of yours.” Klaus gripped your waist and pulled you off his brother. His fingers dug into your sides, tickling you as you squealed his name. His arms wrapped around you to hold you in place while you bent your leg to look at your thigh. A watercolor wolf head adorned your skin there.

“However would I have known that was yours without you here to tell me, Klaus?” That naturally caused him to dig his fingers into your sides again. “Damn it, Hybrid. Stop.”

He did as you asked, but kept his arms around you. You lifted your left arm to see a crown with a splash of red behind it. “And for the always regal Elijah, a crown. How fitting.”

Klaus had bent his leg to rest beside yours so you could see your rainbow flames on his thigh. This meant more to you than the soulmark completing. This was a personalized symbol that showed you had chosen each other. That you loved and cherished one another. That this was your family.


	14. The Walk Home

The last thing you wanted to do was crawl out of bed and pull yourself together to open up your shop. Unfortunately for you, you had an appointment scheduled with a buyer. Even if you decided to reschedule, you’d have to go in to get his information so you might as well just open up for a bit. 

Your mates were no happier about your departure than you were but they promised a home cooked meal and a movie together once you got home. That at least gave you something to look forward to at the end of the day. You met your client and did some housekeeping tasks around the shop before deciding to close up early. You paused at the door and considered calling one of the guys to escort you home but quickly decided against it. Afterall, there were several hours of daylight remaining and you wanted to surprise them when you got home early. 

You resettled your bag on your shoulder as you walked, adjusting its heavier than normal weight. You’d come across a couple of books you thought Elijah might want to add to his collection, one for Kol about early covens and one for Klaus about the life of one of his favorite painters. That one had been of particular interest when you came across it as you were certain the Nicolas mentioned in the pages as one of the man’s confidants was none other than Niklaus. The hybrid always enjoyed reading about his historical exploits. 

Your smile faded as a large hand wrapped around your upper arm and tugged you sideways into an alley. Annoyance flared through you as you twisted in the grip and were unable to get away. Son of a bitch. “You must have some majorly shitty karma if I’m the random victim you plucked off the street. You’re not going to have a good day, asshole.”

The man snorted and shoved you away from him, your back colliding with the building behind you. You grunted and let your bag drop down your arm so you could grab the handle and swing it at your attacker. He snatched it mid-arc and yanked it from your hold before tossing it aside as if it weighed nothing. 

He snarled and stepped closer as you mentally went through the magic at your disposal. You’d practiced your magic for years but had never actually been forced to defend yourself with it. “You’re a feisty thing for a whore.”

You frowned at the man, brow furrowed. “Excuse me?”

Another step and his body pressed against yours, holding you in place as he sneered down at you, having at least a good six inches on you. He inhaled deeply and the motion screamed werewolf. Shit. “Apparently the rumors are true. Never thought I’d see the day those Mikaelson bastards shared anything, let alone a woman. Ain’t you the lucky one?”

So, this was no random mugging. You were targeted, sought out. You were suddenly torn between killing your attacker and incapacitating him. Surely your mates would have questions for him but your immediate instinct was to destroy the threat to your family. The internal debate ended the moment he reached for the button on your jeans. 

“Maybe I should show you what you’ve been missing. Show you how a real man fucks.”

You slammed your palms against either side of his head. “How the fuck would you know?” When you separated your hands, the werewolf disintegrated before you. There really was no other word for it. The spell was extreme, vicious, and one you never thought you would actually use. Your attacker was taken apart at a molecular level leaving nothing behind but blood and visceral matter. Unfortunately, you were wearing a good deal of it. 

Though you were doing your best to keep yourself together, you trembled violently. You’d never killed someone before and while you didn’t regret it in the least, it was still a shock to your system. Several minutes later, you were composed enough to realize that someone was calling your name. More than one someone in fact. “I’m here,” you called back, hoping their enhanced hearing would be able to pick you out from the sounds of the city.   
Within moments, Kol stood before you, cradling your face in his hands as he looked you over. “Are you okay?”

You swallowed past the lump in your throat and nodded. The movement was slight but he picked it up just the same if the way he tugged you against him and wrapped his arms around you was any indication. Your arms grasped him immediately and you sobbed into his chest. Your knees gave way, but he held you tight, kept you from going down. Vaguely you were aware that you were coating him in blood, ruining his clothes. But he didn’t seem to care so neither did you. 

“I have her,” he said and you realized one or more of his brothers must have arrived. As much as you loved them, you had no desire to release Kol at the moment. He was peaceful, strong, and you knew he wouldn’t make you talk about what happened until you were ready. “Get her things and we’ll meet back at the house.”

He swept you up in his arms and you buried your head against his chest as he sped you home. In minutes, you found yourself sitting on the counter in your shared bathroom. He stepped back and pushed a strand of hair behind your ear. “Are you certain you are all right, darling?”

You closed your eyes and shook your head. “There is nothing about this that is okay, Kol, but I’m not injured. None of this is mine.”

“All that matters is your safety, Y/N. Everything else we can deal with, understood?”

Your eyes studied his face, taking in the streaks of blood that he’d picked up from holding you. His brow was furrowed and his face was drawn with concern. You didn’t care for the look, not on your happy Kol. Instead of answering, you leaned forward and kissed him. A simple gesture to acknowledge his words, to reassure that you were whole and hearty. 

His sigh of relief was accompanied by a visible release of tension from his body. He kissed your forehead. “Get in the shower. I’ll find you some clothes.” He stepped away and you reached out to snag his wrist before he could leave. 

“Stay with me.” 

His brows lifted in surprise. “Y/N?”

“I don’t want to be alone right now.”

His expression shifted completely in understanding. “Of course, you don’t. Come then.”

***

You hadn’t intended to linger in the shower, but the hot water was so relaxing, comforting. Kol and you scrubbed each other clean while occasionally sharing a soft kiss or a loving embrace. When you finally got out, you found your soiled clothing had been replaced by clean, comfortable clothes for the both of you. Kol saw to drying you off and helping you dress before turning you toward the door with a pat on your rear. “Go on. They need to see you’re all right for themselves.”

Anxious to see your mates as well, you hurried off. You encountered Klaus first. He stood at the bottom of the steps awaiting your arrival. You all but launched yourself past the last several steps. He huffed a laugh as he caught you in his arms and held you tightly against him. You wrapped your arms around his neck and nestled against him with your legs wrapped around his waist. One hand helped support your weight while the other cupped the back of your head. “It’s okay, sweetheart. You’re safe now. You’re home.” 

He kept whispering soothing words as he carried you through the house. “All right, spider monkey,” he finally said and you couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped you. He squeezed you tighter at the sound. “Here’s Elijah. He wants to see you as well.”

You turned your head to see Elijah standing nearby, his arms open to take you from his brother. You felt a bit like a child as you were passed off to him, but you couldn’t bring yourself to care. Right now, you just wanted to be taken care of. Elijah sat on the couch and positioned you so you sat sideways in his lap. Reaching to the side, he grabbed a blanket to drape over you and you rested your head against his chest as you settled in the warmth. Within moments, you were sleeping. 

***

“I still don’t understand why she would come home without waiting for one of us. She knows all she had to was call.” Klaus’s angry words roused you enough that you were paying attention, but not enough for you to wake completely. 

Kol sighed. “Calm yourself, brother. It was the middle of the afternoon. She had no reason to think anything would happen. Why should it?” 

“Besides, you know very well it is not her you are angry with, Niklaus. You were scared, as were we all, when you felt her distress. And then when we couldn’t find her…” He moved beneath you and you assumed he’d shrugged to finish off his point. 

The tension was still thick in the air and you could almost see Klaus pacing the floor. “What if we had lost her? It took us nearly 1000 years to find her.”

“But we didn’t lose her,” Elijah argued.

“And she’s home now. Safe. Everything will be fine,” Kol added.

“What if it’s not?” Klaus retorted and your heart twinged. Your hybrid still found it difficult to believe that anything good could happen to him. That the fates would be so kind. As much as you wanted to stay right where you were for the rest of the evening, you evidently needed to take care of your mates as much as they needed to take care of you. 

“It’s not as if that particular wolf will be causing any more trouble.” You kept your eyes shut as you spoke. Sometime during your rest a persistent headache had taken up residence. You could only assume the light would make it worse.

The silence stretched for a couple of minutes until Kol broke it. “Yes, about that, darling. What precisely happened to him?”

You huffed a laugh. “I did. My magic did, I mean. I never used that spell on a person before. I used to practice on watermelons. Can’t say it looked much different.” Your attempt to appear unbothered was ruined by the shudder that ran through your body. Elijah’s hand trailed your spine in an attempt to reassure you. 

He started to speak but was cut off by Klaus. “Why are your eyes still closed, love?”

“Headache.” The word was accompanied by a groan and you tried to bury your face further into Elijah’s chest. Not that you could without suffocating. His hand moved up to cradle the back of your neck and rubbed gently. 

“Drink,” Klaus ordered and you cracked open your eyes to find him leaning over you, wrist level with your mouth. Your gaze locked with his as you leaned forward and took what he offered. He ran his hand over your head until you pulled away a moment later, your head already starting to feel better.

“Thank you.”

He nodded and gave you a soft smile. He sat on the edge of the coffee table so he remained close. “Now, pretty. Tell us exactly what happened.”


	15. For The Best

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about this one.

You relayed the details of your attack in full twice, answering what questions you could in between. When Klaus asked you to go through it again, you refused. You had long since moved from Elijah’s lap and were sat on your own on one end of the couch. You sighed and ran a hand down your face.

“We’ve been going over this for an hour. I don’t see what difference it makes. He’s very dead and I’m fine. I won’t walk anywhere on my own. And I’m very tired of discussing it.”

“I am simply trying to—”

“Enough, Niklaus. She’s right. We’ve been over it. There’s nothing she can tell us that will change what happened.”

You frowned as you shifted your attention to Elijah. Something about his wording didn’t sit right with you. After a moment, you brushed it off. Your nerves were just on edge from the conversation. That was all. You were seeing issues where there were none.

“But don’t you think—”

“Enough, Kol.” Elijah was determined to bring the conversation to an end. It wasn’t as if you were going to argue with him. You didn’t want to discuss it any more either. He turned to you with a smile. “Now, I believe we promised our mate dinner and a movie.”

***

You fell asleep halfway through the movie and Klaus carried you up to bed. Normally, they would have finished the film then all gotten into bed with you. Tonight, however, they had matters to discuss.

Once he’d seen you settled, Klaus shut the door to your room and went to join his brothers in his study. Elijah handed him a glass of scotch and he took an empty seat. The silence stretched as the three of them became lost in their own thoughts.

“We knew better,” Klaus finally said after several minutes had passed.

“Perhaps we should have,” Elijah relented, “but the temptation was too great. The pull to be with her was too strong. I find it unlikely I could have resisted even had I wished.”

Kol slammed his glass down on the table beside him. “I don’t see why we should. She was made for us. We are meant to be together. And she handled herself brilliantly.”

“You know why, Kol. She wasn’t attacked. She was targeted. Because of us.” Klaus couldn’t shake the deep sense of betrayal he felt that he would be given a mate only for the universe to try to take her away so soon.

“We don’t know that,” his younger brother insisted.

“The wolf confessed they’re talking about us. About her. For you to say otherwise only means you are refusing to see the truth of the matter.” Elijah’s words were short with anger though Klaus was sure it was directed to the universe in general and not any of them. “Throughout our lives, the people who we grew closest to have always been in danger. When they cannot attack us directly, they go after those we hold dear. It is how it has always been.”

“And in this case, it’s so much worse, isn’t it?” Klaus’s heart ached. “They need only harm her, threaten her, and they get to all three of us.”

Kol cleared his throat. “And if she were to die?”

“Well, that would destroy us, wouldn’t it?” Elijah answered.

“We could leave,” Klaus suggested.

“And go where?” Elijah asked. “Where in this world could we go where we would not have to worry about enemies on our doorstep?”

After several minutes of silence, Elijah spoke up again. “As long as we are in her life, she is not safe.”

“So, what do we do?” Kol asked, sounding completely broken.

Elijah focused on the glass in his hand. “Right now, we go to bed and hold our mate. In the morning, we feed her and walk her to work. Once she is safe behind her wardings, we will do as we must.”

***

Despite the events of the day, your sleep was peaceful. Your mates had been more attentive than usual, which honestly you hadn’t thought possible. Though all three of them had walked you to work, you had thought at least one of them would stay. It would have been normal for them to do so, especially because you had a large delivery coming in. Elijah in particular enjoyed going through shipments with you and helping put the new books away.

Instead, they’d all begged off for other business. You leaned on the counter with a sigh. Normally you enjoyed your time in your shop but today, time couldn’t pass quickly enough. You were ready to go home. Even the delivery didn’t hold your interest. Once you’d counted boxes you’d left it piled to one side to go through later.

You straightened as the bell sounded and your mates came through the door. Your smile faded as you took in their serious expressions. “What’s going on, guys?” you asked when they didn’t immediately say anything.

“Are you alone at present?” Elijah asked.

You nodded. “No one but me and the books.”

He nodded to his brothers. Kol locked the door and Klaus flipped the sign to closed. “We need to talk.”

“Of course.” You were proud of how calm you sounded though you were feeling anything but.

“We have discussed our situation and feel it best that we end this before any of us become more invested.”

You sucked in a breath, your gaze moving between your mates. “What?”

“It’s for your own protection, Y/N,” Klaus said. “The wolf was only one of many that would see us suffer. And by harming you, they could take all three of us down in one move. We cannot allow that to happen.”

Kol cleared his throat. “We can’t let you get hurt because of us.”

Your chest hurt and you bit the inside of your lip to keep from crying. “You can’t be serious. You can’t mean this.” If they had looked at you with concern or sadness perhaps you might have kept it together. But the looks of pity they all wore…well, that was just too much. “You told me you waited a thousand years for me and that I was worth the wait. That I made up for every second. You told me you loved me.” Your voice cracked at the end but there was no help for that you supposed. After all, your world was crashing down around you, wasn’t it?

“Y/N, please,” Kol pleaded.

Elijah dropped a hand onto his shoulder. “This is for the best, Y/N. You will see that someday. We’re sorry.”

“Please don’t do this.”

All of them turned their gaze from you as they moved to leave. “I’m sorry,” you yelled and tears overflowed to run down your face. “Whatever I did, I’m sorry. I’ll fix it. Just don’t leave me.” The last words came out as little more than a whisper as your mates walked out of your life as easily as they had walked in.

Your body shook as you wept and you dropped to your knees. Before New Orleans you’d thought being alone was miserable. But to have had them, to know what your life could be with them in it, and to lose that was an indescribable pain. Your chest physically hurt as you struggled to breathe between sobs.

They’d left you. You were made for them and they turned you away. You gave them everything and they didn’t want it. Didn’t want you. Deep down you’d known that brief happiness had been too good to be true. You’d known they’d realize you weren’t worth the effort one day. You’d just been hoping it would come a decade or two down the road. Just a moment. That’s all you wanted. A moment in time when someone chose you.

You weren’t certain how much time passed before you realized Cami was helping you sit up. You wiped at your cheeks though new tears quickly replaced the old. “What is going on, Y/N? What happened?”

You shook your head, not wanting to put your shame into words.

Cami rubbed her hands on your arms. “Talk to me, Y/N.”

You looked from her to Marcel who hovered nearby. He held up his hands. “Hey, whatever they did, I’m on your side. She’d hurt me otherwise.”

“Damn straight,” Cami grumbled. You laughed which quickly turned into another sob. Cami pulled you into her chest and wrapped her arms around you. “It’s okay. Whatever happened, it’ll be okay.”

“They left me,” you managed to get out. “They don’t want me.”

Cami pulled back to look at you with a frown. “What? That doesn’t make any sense, Y/N. They’re crazy about you.”

You shrugged. “I make them weak. They’re better off without me.”

She closed her eyes. “Oh, those assholes. Those stupid, stupid assholes.”

Marcel bent down and scooped you up in his arms. “You can rant about the originals later, sweetheart. Right now, let’s get her home.”

“Yeah,” your friend readily agreed as she hopped to her feet. “I’ll put a sign on the door. She doesn’t need to worry about this place right now. Go on. I’ll grab her keys out of her bag and lock up.”

You felt like you should say something. Anything. But you just didn’t have it in you.

“You’ll be okay, Y/N. I know it doesn’t feel like it right now, but it’ll get better,” Marcel offered while he stood on the sidewalk outside your shop holding you and waiting for his mate.

Maybe he was right. Maybe it would get better. Maybe it wouldn’t. Maybe tomorrow you’d wake up in your bed in your childhood home and all this will have been some weird demented dream. It didn’t take long to reach your little house. Cami opened the door and sat your things on the table while Marcel lowered you to your feet.

You’d managed to quit crying during the walk and now steered your friends toward the door. They’d done enough and honestly, you wanted to wallow in peace. Marcel finally resorted to physically pulling Cami outside. After you locked up behind them, you allowed yourself to look around your house.

As your eyes fell on belongings that you’d moved to the Mikaelsons with you tears flooded your eyes again. They’d moved you back home. You were sure if you looked around you’d find everything you’d taken with you back in its place. You had been thoroughly removed from their lives.


	16. Three Days

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter deals with grief, depression and self harm. do not read if any of this might be triggering

Three days. That’s how much time had passed since the brothers left you weeping in your shop. Three days that felt more like three hundred. Not only were they having to deal with their own emotions, yours battered against them constantly like waves on a shore.

They put up walls and locked themselves down as much as they could. There were ways to completely sever the bond with you but none of them were willing to take that step. Frankly, they weren’t certain they’d survive it should they even try.

All three brothers had retreated to their own spaces in the house as they constantly sniped at one another when anywhere close to each other. It was late afternoon when the front door slammed and Cami’s voice rang throughout the house. “I want to speak to all three of you. Right now.”

Elijah sighed in annoyance and went to greet their friend. It was unlikely the other two would bother. “Now is not really a good time,” he said as he reached the top of the stairs and she came into view.

She scowled and moved into the living room. “I don’t really give a shit. And I’m not leaving until I’ve said my piece so I suggest you all make an appearance.”

Elijah ran a hand through his hair and followed her into the other room. Truth be told, he was surprised it had taken her this long to appear on your behalf. The two of you had grown quite close.

His brothers appeared seconds later evidently deciding to take their punishment as well.

“Look, Cami—”

“Sit down and shut the fuck up,” Cami barked, cutting Klaus off.

They took seats in various locations around the room and Cami stood in front of them. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she tapped her foot on the floor. Elijah could practically feel the anger radiating off her.

“Did Y/N tell you about her family?”

Elijah frowned. That certainly wasn’t where he was expecting this conversation to start. His brothers looked equally as stunned.

“Of course, she did. Undoubtedly more than she told you at any rate,” Kol said and Elijah had to agree. As close as the two of you were, he found it doubtful that you happened to mention your heritage to her.

Cami huffed and lifted her chin to sneer down her nose at them.

Elijah shifted his weight and clenched his teeth to keep himself from saying something he’d regret.

“So she told you how her sister tortured her? And got her friends to join in as well? Or maybe she told you how the only mother she’d ever known didn’t even wait until she’d had a chance to wash her father’s blood from her hands to tell her she wasn’t her real mother and kick her out of the house?”

“What?” Kol’s voice cracked.

Elijah swallowed past the lump in his throat. How had you never told them this?

“She made no secret of the fact she doesn’t get along with her step-mother and her sister but I had no idea it went to that extreme,” Klaus added.

“Of course, you didn’t. In case you haven’t noticed she goes out of her way to not be a burden, a bother. You can only listen to someone say something to you so many times before you start to believe it.” Cami wiped a hand across her eyes and cleared her throat before continuing. “She spent her entire life being told by her step-mother that she wasn’t wanted. When her father died they added the rhetoric that her real mother took one look at her and abandoned her. Her sister tormented her for years about her soulmark until she was convinced her mark was the way it was because her mates wouldn’t want her either so they’d just reject her in turn.”

“We understand what you’re saying, Camille but—”

“You don’t understand shit.” Tears flowed freely down her cheeks as she cut Elijah’s words off. “All she’s wanted in her life is to be loved. To belong to a family that was happy to have her. You didn’t just break her heart, you ripped her family away. You took her dream. She is so, so broken and none of you care. Why pretend to love her if you were only going to snatch it away?”

Klaus was on his feet in an instant, his own tears a match for Cami’s. “You can come in here and yell at us for breaking her heart, but don’t you dare accuse us of not loving her. Or think for even a moment that we don’t care for her. She is everything.” He was yelling by the end, not that Elijah could fault him for it.

“Then why do this? Why make all of you suffer?”

“We have to.” Kol’s voice broke and he turned away from all of them.

“You don’t have to do shit. Just—”

It was Cami’s turn to be cut off as Elijah stood, hands fisted at his sides. “We will not falter in this, Camille. As much as we may all hate it, this is for the best. Her life is danger as long as she is with us.”

She swiped her tears away again and looked at all of them with such profound sadness that Elijah’s heart ached. “What makes any of you think her life is worth living without you in it?”

***

Three days and you hadn’t heard from any of them. It was for the best you supposed. Easier to let them go this way. After all, they’d all but shut down their connection with you so they wanted you gone. And you kept trying to pull yourself together but there were so many reminders. Every where you looked.

You snatched the half full bottle of liquor from the table and took another long swallow. The real problem here was you marks. No matter where you looked on your body there they were. You’d tried covering them up the first day, but you were drawn to them anyway. Always moving aside your clothing to catch a glimpse of them. And if you did succeed in ignoring them for awhile they’d start itching, trying to get your attention. A constant reminder that even they didn’t want you.

So now you sat at the little table in your kitchen in your bra and underwear so you could see them all. You took another swig of the alcohol and savored the burn. You slammed the bottle down and the other items on the table shook. Among them was your favorite knife. Grasping it in hand, you turned it back and forth to catch the light with the blade. The edge was so sharp that a mere touch could cut. The thing about a super sharp blade was the damage was done long before your pain receptors kicked in.

You’d mixed up some of your special essences and put them in your bottle just to be sure. The triangles had to go first. They started this whole mess and in some ways were the worst reminder. You ran the edge over the soulmarks, lightly on the first pass then more firmly on the next. You tossed the blade on the table and grabbed the towel from beside it. After wiping the blood away and seeing no sign of the marks you allowed yourself a small smile. One down.

It was evident from the amount of blood that trying to be rid of the bonding marks the same way wouldn’t be a good idea. Fortunately, you had a plan for that as well. Clippings from two of your fae plants lay on opposite sides of the table. You picked the leaf from one and cracked it open. A thick sweet smelling gel oozed out and you rubbed it over one of the bonding marks. When you ran out, you picked another leaf.

Once you had them all covered, you did the same with the other plant. Once finished, you sucked in a breath and whispered an ancient fae word. Flames leapt to life and began to sear away the marks. The longer they burned, the more the pain crept through. It took a moment for you to realize that you were screaming. Another word and the fire faded away as if it had never been.

Your head spun, and you hurt. God, you hurt. But when you examined your skin and found nothing but charred flesh, it was so worth it. You put your head down on the table and let the tears flow in a mix of relief and devastation. A pounding at the door startled you and you thought someone might have yelled your name. But none of it mattered as you closed your eyes and sank into blackness.


	17. Home Again

It was the pain that managed to break through the barrier they’d tried to maintain. A wave of sorrow followed by an intense burning. To be truthful, Elijah had feared they would arrive at your home to find it aflame. That you had somehow gotten trapped and they would lose you forever.

When the house appeared as calm as always, they knew something else was going on. They shouted and pounded on both doors of the house. It wasn’t until the connection between you faded to almost nothing that they truly began to panic. Mere seconds passed before they busted through both doors. They rushed in with no care to the wards that you thankfully hadn’t reset as they passed through unharmed.

Klaus reached you first. He pulled you from your seat and sat on the floor with you in his lap. You were a burnt and bloody mess. Tears ran down his face. “Oh no. What have you done to yourself, love?”

Kol raked his hands through his hair. “What did we do, Elijah? We did this to her.”

Elijah knelt beside Klaus as he rolled up his sleeve. “Calm yourself, Kol.” He bit into his wrist and held it to your mouth. When you remained limp and unmoving a jolt of panic shot through him. He clenched his teeth and lifted the back of your head with his free hand. “Drink, damn you.”

When you began to obey him, he slumped in relief as the tension flowed from him. You would survive. Once he determined you’d taken enough, he stood. “We’ll take her home and discuss what to do from there.”

***

You woke with a groan and a smile. You were surrounded by mountains of pillows and had sunk down into the bed as you slept. God, this bed was worth every penny. You turned your head to the side and inhaled deeply, catching a bit of the scent from all three of your mates. Yep, best bed ever.

But how did you get here? Last thing you remembered you were…

Oh, god. Oh, no. You shouldn’t be here. You should be at home passed out on your table. You should have woken up with physical pain to take your mind off the heartbreak you couldn’t live with. You scrambled in the bed, trying to find purchase to push yourself up to the headboard. Finally succeeding, you shoved the bedding away from you and drew your knees up to your chest. “No, no, no.”

The words were barely audible but it was enough to draw the brothers into the room. Or maybe they’d felt you wake up. You still seemed to be firmly tied to them despite your desire to forget. You’d hoped getting rid of your marks would lessen your bond.

The three of them stood at the foot of the bed just looking at you as if they didn’t know what to say.

“Why?” you asked. “Why would you bring me here? How can I forget you if I’m here? Why would you do this to me? What did I do to deserve this?” Your words held far more of a plea in them than you would normally care for, but right now, you didn’t care. You just wanted—no, needed—to get away from them.

Klaus stepped forward, his eyes full of tears. “Calm down, love. Everything will be okay.”

You shook your head. “I can’t. I can’t stay here. You have to let me go.”

Kol shot forward and you flinched though he stopped just short of climbing on the bed with you. “We can’t do that, Y/N. We love you too much to do that again.”

You sucked in a breath.

“Hush, Kol,” Elijah snapped.

Kol turned on his brother with an anger you’d rarely seen him wear. “No. I’m sorry but I can’t just stand around and pretend I don’t love her when she’s in front of me hurting. And obviously she’s not better off without us. Look at her.”

Your eyes darted between them. If they loved you, why would they leave you? You had a million questions and no idea where to begin. Fortunately, you were spared from having to make the decision.

“Out,” Rebekah ordered as she strode into the room.

Klaus rolled his eyes and Elijah sighed. “Not now, Rebekah.”

“I’m not asking. All three of you, out now. She needs to get cleaned up and I’m sure as shit not about to let any of you lot help her. You’ve done quite enough.”

When they didn’t move, she stomped her foot on the floor. “Out!”

Elijah held up a hand to quiet her. “All right. We have some matters to discuss anyway.”

You stayed silent as they filed from the room and Bekah flipped the lock behind them. Not that it would keep them out if they really wanted in but it was a nice gesture. She laid the clothes in her hands on the end of the bed and held a hand out to you. “Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up.”

You slipped your hand into hers and let her lead you into the bathroom. You sat on the counter at her gesture. Your gaze followed her as she got a rag and wet it down. You closed your eyes and let her wash the grime from your face. You kept them closed as she gently tended to you, both of you silent as she did so.

Her fingers traced the skin on your wrist where your soulmarks sat and you opened your eyes to follow their path. There they were, right back where they started. If anything, they were darker than they used to be. You huffed. Figured.

“Are you all right?” Bekah asked and you lifted your head to meet her gaze.

You gave a little shrug. “Does it matter?”

“Of course, it matters. Why did you do this to yourself? You’re better than this. Better than them, at the very least.”

The pure annoyance in her tone had you huffing a laugh. “I wasn’t trying to hurt myself. That was just a side effect. I just wanted the marks gone. The reminders of what I’d had.”

You hopped off the counter and went into the other room. After stripping off your dirty underthings, you put on the fresh clothes Bekah had brought you. You were surprised to find they were your own. You glanced to your friend in surprise.

“You had things in the laundry when they packed you up. I kept them around for when they came to their senses.”

You smiled. “Well, thanks.” You sat on the edge of the bed and stared at your hands in your lap. “I was so happy for a while, you know. Really happy living here with all of you. Then they told me it was all over. I was heartbroken, but once I got past the initial shock and grief of it I thought I would be okay.”

You shook your head and licked your lips. “I mean, I’m persistent. At the very least, I could annoy them into taking me back. But then they locked down the bond. Do you know what it’s like to have three people’s emotions and presence in you, keeping you company all the time, and then they’re just gone? Only a whisper remained. I’d never felt so alone.”

“I am so sorry.” The tremble in her voice had you looking at her. Moisture pooled in her eyes.

“Not your fault, Bekah.” The brothers were outside the room. They had been for some time, listening. Which was good, you supposed, as they needed to hear what you had to say. “And you know, the thing is when I was a kid and my sister gave me shit about my mark, I did some research. One way to reject your mate, to sever the bond permanently between you is to lock it down like they did. Lock it down and keep it that way for six months. I figured that’s what they intended to do. I didn’t want the marks if they weren’t going to be mine.”

A knock came at the door and Bekah scowled as she stomped over to it. She yanked it open to find all three brothers on the other side. “What do you want?”

“We need to talk to her,” Elijah said looking past his sister to meet your eye.

“Too bad. Fuck off.”

Your hand flew up to your mouth to stifle the laughter that threatened to erupt.

“Rebekah—”

She immediately cut Kol off. “You already destroyed her once. I won’t let you do it again.”

“She’s our mate, Rebekah. We’re not going to hurt her,” Klaus argued.

“That didn’t stop you last time.”

“Rebekah, just leave us with her. Please.” Elijah tried to sound reasonable but annoyance was heavy in his voice.

She glanced back at you and you nodded. She turned back to the men. “Fine. But if you hurt her again, I’ll never forgive you.”

As people shuffled in and out of the room, you moved over the sitting area in the corner. You so did not want to have this conversation on the bed. You poured yourself a drink and sat down. Kol sat on the opposite end of the sofa and Klaus took a chair. Elijah remained on his feet.

He rubbed a hand across the back of his neck. “First, I should tell you that we eavesdropped on your conversation with Rebekah.”

You lifted your brows. “I know.”

“How?” Klaus asked.

“The bonds. It took me a moment to realize it when I woke but they’re open again. It’s most of the reason I’m calm even though I’m hurting. It’s horrible to feel so empty all the time. It was awful.” You swallowed the lump in your throat.

Kol immediately slid next to you and took your hand in his. You glanced at him, uncertain if you wanted to lean closer to him or snatch your hand away from his touch. “We had no idea, Y/N. I promise you. We thought the only way to sever the bond permanently was with a witch. We simply thought it would be easier for all of us if we didn’t feel each other’s pain so intensely.”

You hummed, not sure what else you could say you hadn’t already.

“That wolf that attacked you targeted you because of us,” Elijah explained as if you hadn’t already known that. “As long as you are with us, your life will be in danger.”

“We felt the only way to protect you was to no longer be with you,” Klaus added.

You blinked as you processed their words. You’d already known this to an extent but you had honestly thought they were just using it as an excuse to be rid of you. Looking them over, it was evident the last few days had been just as difficult for them as they had for you. Elijah was even in jeans and a t-shirt instead of a suit. He must have really been suffering. You giggled a little at the thought and shook your head.

The brothers gave you questioning looks that you ignored.

They may have overheard you talking to Bekah, but you needed to make sure they understood you couldn’t do this again. You wouldn’t survive them leaving a second time. “When you locked the bond down, what did you feel?”

“Hollow.”

“Empty.”

“Lost.”

They spoke in unison and you honestly weren’t certain which of them had said what word. You nodded. “Good. Remember that feeling. Now triple it. And add the uncertainty of why it was done. The not knowing if it was permanent or not.”

“We know we hurt you, darling. We’re so sorry.” Kol squeezed the hand he was still holding and you gently slid it from his grasp.

“That’s not enough, Kol.”

Your mates looked stricken and pure sorrow come through the bond. They thought you weren’t going to take them back. If you were a crueler person, you’d let them continue to think that for a while. Rebekah would probably be pissed you didn’t.

“All of you need to understand that I won’t survive this a second time. So, you need to realize that I am capable of taking care of myself. Yes, it was unnerving when I killed that asshole, but I did it. Me.”

Hope flowed from them and you smiled softly in response.

“I’m not a fool. I know a life with you will be full of danger. But I also couldn’t possibly be any safer than I am with you. If you can’t promise me now that we’ll take whatever the future brings together then you were right—we should end this before we get more invested.”

There was a stretch of silence as they processed your words.

Klaus was the first to speak. “If the last three days has shown me anything, love, it’s that it’s already far too late for that. Dramatic phrasing about not being able to live without you aside, I don’t _want_ to live without you. You make me whole. So, you’re stuck with me for an eternity or so. If you’ll have me, that is.”

Your gaze shifted from him to Kol. He grasped your hand again and kissed the back of it. “I didn’t want to do this in the first place so I’m certainly never doing it again. I love you, darling.”

Your lips twitched as you turned to Elijah. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans and rocked on his feet. “I have spent a thousand years thinking that I knew what was best for our family. Obviously, I don’t know everything. We need you back in our home, Y/N. Back in our lives. We may live forever, but what would be the point without you.”

You allowed the silence to stretch before shaking your head. “You guys are really cheesy, you know that?”

It took exactly one heartbeat for Kol to snatch you off the couch and spin you in the air. He tossed you onto the bed as you laughed. Soon you were surrounded by your mates and you felt content for the first time in days.

As they held you, they gave you soft kisses and whispered a thousand apologies. Things weren’t perfect or even close to settled. They had a lot to make up for after all. But you were home and back where you belonged. You had an eternity to figure out the rest.


End file.
